Friendship Often Ends in Love
by RoLouG
Summary: Teddy and Victoire have always been the best of friends. But in Teddy's final year, something caused their relationship to shift... Chapters alternate between Victoire and Teddy's POV.
1. Prologue

Teddy

He hadn't seen her for four weeks. He'd not really seen her the last few weeks at Hogwarts anyway, and then he'd been on holiday with his grandmother, and then with the Potters, and she'd been away in France with her family. It was now two days after the Weasley family had returned, and Teddy was desperate to see his best girl friend.

He was happy to be able to finally use apparition to get to Shell Cottage, having passed his test a few months ago. He knocked on the door, excited to see her, but at the same time, nervous. His hair flickered, from green to red to purple. He wondered why he was nervous. He managed to get his hair to settle on turquoise. He knew it was her favourite, and it was his too.

Bill answered the door. "Teddy!" he exclaimed. "Good to see you! How've you been?"

"Fine, fine. Good holiday?" Ted replied, running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, good thanks. Lots of sun, as you can probably tell from the extreme freckles," he gestured to his face with a grin. "Victoire's up in her room," he added.

"Thanks Bill," Ted said, and began to climb the stairs. He stopped outside the room with the blue sign, decorated with shells that he and Victoire had collected, which read her name in an elegant, fancy script. He knocked, and heard a delicate, musical voice say, "Come in."

He opened the door and walked in. The room was small, but pretty, the walls painted a calming sea blue, with pretty blue curtains and a dark blue bedspread. There was a white desk in the corner, covered in a mess of quills, parchment, framed photographs and school textbooks. The wall beside her bed was covered in more photographs, many of which featured Teddy himself, along with the vast number of Weasley cousins, and Victoire's many school friends.

Victoire was sat on her bed, wearing a pair of very short denim shorts, and a t-shirt bearing the legend, _The Weird Sisters_. He couldn't help noticing that her long legs were tanned, and a smattering of cute freckles had spread across her nose. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and she wasn't wearing any make-up at all, yet she still managed to look gorgeous.

She was reading a copy of _Witch Weekly_, but as soon as she saw that it was Teddy at the door, she threw the magazine aside and ran towards him. "Teddy!" she cried, launching herself at him.

Teddy stumbled slightly as the tall, slim fifteen-year-old threw her arms around him in a tight hug. He hugged her back, inhaling the soft, flowery smell of her perfume. "Hey Vic," he laughed. "Pleased to see me?"

"Well _duh_ of course!" she said, slapping him playfully on the arm. "I haven't seen you for _weeks_! I've just spent two weeks with only Dom and Louis for company! Of _course_ I'm pleased to see you!"

Teddy grinned. "Pleased to see you too. Good holiday?"

"Yeah, not bad," she said, as they sat down on the bed. "It was really sunny there, I spent nearly every day on the beach, it was great. And Mamie took us shopping and bought me some lovely French perfume as a present." She babbled on about her holiday, while Teddy listened contentedly.

She asked him about his own holidays, and he told her about the fantastic Spain vs. Italy Quidditch game he had been to with the Potters whilst on holiday just outside of Madrid, and the week he'd spent with his Grandma in Calais.

Their conversation continued as they went for a walk on the beach. They never seemed to run out of things to say, the easy relationship they had had since childhood hadn't faltered with age. If anything, it had become stronger. So much so, that when asked if he wanted to stay for dinner, Teddy was genuinely sorry to say "I promised I'd go to Harry's."

Victoire walked Teddy to the gate, and hugged him goodbye fiercely. Teddy couldn't help but hold on, desperate for it to last a little longer. What was happening? He had never felt that before. That tug, that longing to stay where he was, in the arms of this girl.

He gently pulled away, promised to see her tomorrow, then apparated to the Potters. He already wished he could see her again, right that second.

And that was the moment when Teddy Lupin's feelings toward his best friend began to change.


	2. Chapter 1: Charm Bracelets and Goodbye's

Victoire

It was raining heavily on the first of September. The platform was noisy and wet, the usual bustle of families waving goodbye was made even more hectic by the downpour. Victoire pushed her heavy trunk across the platform, deciding to find a compartment for herself and her friends before saying goodbye to her family.

She was struggling to lift her trunk onto the train, when a pair of larger, stronger hands lifted it up. Victoire turned around, then squealed with surprise at the blue-haired from of her best friend.

"Teddy!" she cried. "Thanks."

"No problem at all," he grinned. "How've you been?"

"We saw each other two days ago," Victoire laughed, as they both pulled their trunks along the train.

"Really? Just two days?" Teddy seemed confused. His hair flickered slightly redder. He shook his head, as though to clear it, then grinned again, his hair returning to turquoise . "Well, a lot can happen in two days."

"Yeah, but it didn't," Victoire laughed. "Oh look, an empty compartment," she said, dragging her trunk into it.

"Er, Vic? I'll see you later," Teddy said awkwardly. "Andrew's saving me a compartment."

"Oh. Sure. See you at the feast?"

"Yeah, maybe. See you."

It always felt strange to remember that she and Teddy didn't really hang out at Hogwarts much. They were normally so close in the holidays. They didn't exactly ignore each other. However, some of Teddy's friends had made it pretty cleat that hanging out with a girl two years younger than you wasn't exactly cool. Victoire didn't want to damage Teddy's reputation.

"Vic!" Victoire turned around. Standing at the door to the compartment was the slim, red-haired figure of her cousin Molly, the next oldest Weasley cousin. Molly and Victoire were very close, and when part of a larger group of friends, sometimes hung out together. Molly was much more serious than her sister Lucy, with a temperament far closer to her father's than that of her more mischievous uncles.

Victoire loved having fun as much as the next person, but she relied on Molly to keep her in check, and stop her from being too wild. She didn't want to cause trouble by being too mischievous or disruptive, a feeling not shared by her sister and cousin Fred, who were mischief-makers-in-chief of their year.

"Molly!" Victoire laughed and hugged her cousin. "How was America?" She hadn't seen her cousin for the whole summer, as their family had been on holiday, travelling the United States.

"It was so amazing!" Molly cried. "We got everyone presents! Hold on a sec, I'll find yours." She opened her trunk and searched it, as Victoire stowed her own in the luggage rack.

"Here you go!" Victoire took the small package. Inside was an _I Love New York_ t-shirt, and a lovely charm bracelet, with four charms already on it, a heart, a fairy, a rainbow and a British flag that had been merged with a French one.

"Thanks!" Victoire said. "Do these mean something?"

"Yeah! It's not like the muggle ones, though obviously it's based on them. I got it when we visited Salem. If you want someone to give you a charm, they tap a link of the chain with their wand and say, _Ornamentum Anima. _If they picture the charm they want, it should appear."

"That's amazing!"

"Yeah. I gave you the heart, Dad gave you the lion, for Gryffindor, Luce gave you the rainbow, and Mum gave you the flag one, because of your nationality, and you know she likes travelling and stuff."

"It's great, thank you. And the T-Shirt is awesome as well."

"No problem. We got a bracelet for Dom and Roxie as well. Anyway, shouldn't we go say goodbye?" Molly asked.

"Yeah." The two girls left the compartment, and travelled back down the train, meeting several friends along the way, who they told to meet them in the compartment they had saved.

By the time Victoire had finished hugging her parents and various uncles and aunts goodbye, she had several more charms on the bracelet, a flower from her mother, a small emerald from her father, a lightening bolt from her uncle Harry, who had come to see Teddy off, a broomstick from aunt Angelina, and what looked like an explosion or a firework from uncle George. Dominique gave her a shooting star, and Louis was only just starting at Hogwarts, so was unable to give her one just yet. Her cousin Fred gave her a snitch, as Victoire was the Gryffindor seeker, and Fred was also on the team as beater, and Roxie gave her a butterfly.

All too soon, the train whistle was blowing, and Victoire was giving her parents one last hug goodbye, promising to be good and to work hard, and to look after her little brother and sister.

She hopped onto the train and leaned out to wave back at her parents, despite the rain. She continued to wave until the train rounded the corner and the platform was pulled from sight.

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**I made up the incantation myself. Put it in google translate if you want to know what it means!  
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**I put Molly in fourth year, Doninique and Fred in third, Roxanne and Lucy in second and Louis in first. I imagine Molly and Victoire being quite close.  
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**Thanks for reading, next chapter up soon!  
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	3. Chapter 2: Final Year

Teddy

Teddy was making his way back down the train, his hair dripping, having just said goodbye to Harry. He couldn't believe that this was the last time that he'd do that. Just one more year at Hogwarts. One more year spent in the place where his parents had died.

He didn't think of it in a depressing way. He liked to visit the memorial stones beside the lake, that were dedicated to his parents, and the many others. Each brave person had a stone, and he felt comforted when he visited the stones dedicated to Remus and Nymphadora Lupin. He would be sorry to loose that comfort. However, this year would be his last, before hopefully being able to join his godfather in the Auror department. That was his dream.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a voice.

"Teddy!" It was Victoire and Molly, both with dripping hair, making their way to their compartment. "Teddy look what Molly got me!" She held up her wrist, showcasing the silver bracelet, with little decorations on it. "Will you give me a charm?"

"Sure!"

"Great. Just picture the charm you want and say _Ornamentum Anima_."

Teddy thought for a moment, before grinning and saying the incantation. The link he had tapped shimmered, and from it seemed to grow a silver shape. It glowed for a second after fully forming, and Victoire was able to see what it was.

"A wolf?" she said, eyebrows raised.

"What else? It's my patronus. It's my soul animal. What else represents me?"

"Aw, I was just joking around. It's perfect, thank you Teddy. I'll see you later?"

They said a temporary goodbye for the second time in the last half an hour, and continued towards their separate compartments.

First of all, Teddy had to visit the Prefects carriage. He hadn't made Head Boy that year, however, he hadn't really wanted that responsibility. He was already Quidditch captain. He was happy just being prefect. After all, his father had been one, and he liked to feel that he was following in his father's footsteps.

He reached the carriage, and walked in. Euan Selkirk, the new Head Boy gave him a glare. Teddy often found it difficult to get along with this stuck up prat. He was clever enough, sure, but could be a total arse sometimes. A lot of the time. Pretty much every second. Whatever, he grated on Teddy's nerves, and apparently, Teddy grated on his.

One of his mates from Ravenclaw had said it was something to do with Teddy's Metamorphosing. He was jealous of the ease with which Teddy could change his appearance, and also of Teddy's popularity. Teddy was annoyed that he of all people had made Head Boy. Although he didn't want the position himself, he wished it had gone to someone more… likeable.

Mind you, as Selkirk was intelligent and quite good-looking, quite a lot of girls liked him, and Teddy had heard that he often took advantage of this. Why him? The Hufflepuff prefect, a guy named Peter, was one of the nicest guys Ted knew, and from the little he had heard, the Slytherin prefect wasn't too bad either. Either of them would make a better Head Boy than the git standing in front of him. Being Head Boy would not improve his ego.

"Late Lupin," Selkirk sneered.

Teddy's hair flushed red. He couldn't be much later than the others. "My apologies. The corridors were crowded. Obviously having not had instructions to do so, I couldn't use my authority as a prefect to ask them to move."

Peter sniggered.

Selkirk glared even more.

"Well, as I was about to say before Lupin here decided to show up, here are your schedules for patrols. Also, the new passwords for your common rooms." He continued to drone on, none of it very important really. Finally he let them go.

Teddy found the compartment he had stowed his trunk in earlier, which was now filled with his fellow Gryffindor seventh years. Andrew, his best friend, was chatting to Ephraim and Finn, two of their dorm mates, while the other was decidedly wrapped around Kelly Morgan.

"Watch out Aidan, you might suck her face off," Teddy joked. Aiden broke away from his girlfriend for long enough to tell Teddy to do something obscene to himself, before continuing to kiss her as though their lives depended on it.

Andrew laughed. "You all right Teddy? You seem a little… put out."

"Yeah, Selkirk was being an arse," he said.

"How did that idiot get Head Boy?" Ephraim wondered.

"Beats me," Teddy said, sighing. "Oh well, at least there's only one more year of having to put up with him."

"That's true," Ephraim said. "Hey, watch this." He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the kissing couple. He muttered something, and there was a pop. The couple pulled apart, which was difficult considering the fact that Aidan's lips had swollen to three times their normal size.

He began mumbling swear words through his sausage-sized lips, making rude hand gestures at his friend. "BUD EM BACK!" he mumbled.

"Only if you promise to stop making babies in front of us," Ephraim said.

"Don't be an arse," Kelly said crossly.

"Promise."

Aidan muttered something which could have been a promise, or just an inventive swear word.

"Done," Ephraim said, reversing the spell.

"You're a git, you know that," Aidan said. He did however, keep the promise, and resorted to cuddling his girlfriend instead.

"So what've you been up to?" Finn asked, having been quiet throughout the whole escapade.

The boys in the compartment began to describe their holidays, the Quidditch matches, the weeks abroad. Teddy found himself thinking of Victoire again. He had been doing that a lot recently, thinking of Victoire. He wished she was there, something he had never really done on the Hogwarts Express. He had wanted to keep his friends separate, and was also worried that they might think he was sad hanging out with a younger girl.

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**Hope you're enjoying, let me know!  
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	4. Chapter 3: Friends and Frenemies

Victoire

"You did not!"

"I did!"

"Oh my Godric, I can't believe you!"

"I'm so jealous!"

"Me too!"

Victoire sighed. She was sharing a compartment with seven other girls, and the volume and pitch of their voices was starting to get to her. Three of them were her dorm mates; the other four were Molly and her friends.

They were currently going wild over the adventures of Felicity Wells, from her year. Well, Victoire wouldn't call it an adventure. Taking a three day camping trip with nine younger cousins, two younger siblings and a close family friend unsupervised; that was an adventure (Or a disaster waiting to happen; particularly if one of those cousins was Fred Weasley). Stalking one of _Witch Weekly'_s _Most Handsome Wizards_ did not count as an adventure in Victoire's opinion.

She looked around at the girls in the compartment. Felicity was pretty and blonde, with big blue eyes. Victoire didn't really like her. She was very shallow, and although a lot of people thought that she was a bit of an airhead, this was not the case. She was quite clever, and had an excellent ear for gossip. She could often surprise people with the occasional nasty comment, or backhanded compliment. She had already given Victoire plenty of these.

Victoire didn't like to hang out with her if she could help it, but had to put up with her sometimes, to be polite. You did not want Felicity Wells as your enemy.

She much preferred the company of Jenny, a quiet girl with short brown hair, and serious eyes that hid behind glasses. She wasn't exactly pretty, and if Victoire hadn't hated the expression "inner beauty" this was how she would describe her best friend. She was a really lovely person, very intelligent, and hard-working. Victoire liked her a lot, and she got on well with Molly and the rest of Victoire's family. Unfortunately, Jenny was not currently present in the compartment, having been made Gryffindor prefect that year.

The other two girls who Victoire shared a dorm with were Felicity's minions, for want of a better word. Diana and Jasmine were all right when apart from Felicity, but when they were with her they acted to impress her, which generally involved making fun of people who they felt were beneath them.

But Victoire wasn't one to dwell on the bad points. At least she didn't run the risk of being tortured every time she spoke to a muggle-born, like when Teddy's grandmother Andromeda was at school. She could deal with people like Felicity and her cronies. She often found that ignoring them was the best policy, and she was lucky that, as well as Jenny, she had many friends in other houses, and from other years.

Jenny seemed to be under the impression that Felicity was jealous of Victoire.

"Ha," Victoire had snorted. "What's she got to be jealous of?"

Jenny had raised her eyebrows. "You amaze me."

"I amaze me too." Jenny had laughed and the conversation had ended, but the idea had remained. That had been in third year, and, as the last few years had completed Victoire's transformation from pretty to downright stunning, Victoire had begun to feel more and more as though Jenny had a point.

She didn't really think that of herself as beautiful; she had spent too much time with her mother and grandmother to feel beautiful. However, she knew that anyone who didn't have a quarter Veela as a mother would find her attractive, and she didn't want that to define her. She hoped that she had (urgh, the hated phrase again) "inner beauty". She was more than just a pretty face.

Felicity had definitely been jealous when she was the first of her dorm mates to be asked out by a guy. A fellow fifth year Gryffindor had asked her to Hogsmede last year. Victoire didn't like him that way, and hadn't wanted to lead him on. She felt that he had appreciated her honesty, and they were still pretty good friends. However, she could tell that Felicity had been annoyed that Victoire had been asked out before her. Felicity didn't even like Blake Johnson, but she had wanted to be the girl boys fancied.

Victoire was startled from her reverie by someone saying her name. She looked up. Everyone in the compartment was looking at her.

"We went camping with our cousins," Molly said, raising her eyebrows and buying her enough time to recover. "No adults just us and Teddy."

"Teddy Lupin?" Diana asked excitedly.

_No, my cuddly bear_, Victoire thought. "Yes, Teddy Lupin," she replied out loud. "He's a family friend."

"Really?" squealed Felicity. "I thought you must know each other outside of school. I mean, he talks to you sometimes."

"Yes, well," Victoire said. "We've been friends since we were little. I thought I told you that before."

"So are you close? What's he like?" Jasmine asked.

"Why the sudden interest?" Victoire asked back.

"Well, you know, Teddy Lupin," Felicity said, laughing as though Victoire had just asked something extremely stupid, to which the answer was extremely obvious. "He's… _cool. _He's got that whole sexy orphan thing going on. And that thing he does with his hair is really cool. And he's really fit as well." She gave a girlish laugh, which made Victoire want to slap her, and she was not normally a violent person. One of those comments stuck out in her mind.

"You think having no parents makes him _attractive_?" Victoire almost laughed. Who in their right mind would think that?

"Yeah! I mean, Teddy's _memorable_. People _notice _him, you know? You're honestly saying that you don't fancy him?" Felicity looked incredulous.

"I've never thought of him in that way," Victoire said, fighting down a blush with relative ease. "He's like a brother to me."

This wasn't entirely true. Victoire had once had a bit of a crush on Teddy, when she was younger. However, she didn't feel that way any more. He was practically family after all. And she certainly didn't want Felicity knowing that. Some things she liked to keep private.

Over her crush though she may well be, she didn't like hearing these girls talk about Teddy like he was a piece of meat or something, and she quickly changed the subject.

The train sped onwards. Eventually, Jenny joined her in the compartment, making the excited squeals slightly more bearable. The rain continued to lash against the windows as the compartment was filled with chatter.

Jenny was only too happy to donate a charm to Victoire's bracelet, and gave her a pair of music notes, because of their shared love of music. Victoire and Jenny chatted together about holidays, and the work for that year, and Quidditch, occasionally joined by Molly and one or two of her friends. They rolled their eyes when Felicity or one of her minions gave a particularly loud shriek, and, when the lunch trolley came along, they shared a feast of Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes. The journey rolled on, each second taking them closer to Hogwarts.

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**Sorry if I rambled on a bit back there. I hope you're enjoying it so far!  
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**Thanks as usual to everyone who has favourited or followed this story, it means a lot to me.  
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**Also, to clear up some confusion, Teddy is in seventh year, and Victoire is in fifth.  
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	5. Chapter 4: More Than Friendly Advances

Teddy

It was bedlam, trying to organise a few hundred students into the carriages that took them from Hogsmeade station to the front doors of Hogwarts. This was made even worse by the pouring rain. Teddy was stuck showing groups of excitable second and third years where to go, getting absolutely drenched.

He was trying to find his friend's carriage, when he bumped, once again, into Victoire. He grinned and said hi, before noticing that she was surrounded by girls, most of whom were giggling, batting their eyelashes at him. He recognised Felicity Wells from the group. She was the most memorable, and he had heard more than a few unpleasant stories about her from Victoire.

"Hi Teddy," she said, her voice annoyingly high-pitched and breathy. "Good summer?"

"Er… yeah?" Teddy was confused. He barely knew her… scratch that. He didn't know her at all, and now she was talking to him like they were best friends? If he hadn't known a bit about her, he would have found it odd, but he did. Since last year she had already gone out with four boys, two of whom Teddy knew a little, and had said that she had always been flirting with other guys.

"You look good," she said, clearly ecstatic that she had received a reply. "That hair colour really suits you."

"Er… thanks. I'd better go…" he said awkwardly, glancing at Victoire, who rolled her eyes, looking as though she might laugh.

Judging by her behaviour, and Victoire's expression, Felicity had decided to fancy him. Great.

Teddy found his friend's carriage at last, and sat down, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Stress getting to you already?" joked Andrew.

"For your information, I think Felicity Wells just tried to flirt with me," Teddy said, grinning.

"Oooh! Unlucky mate," Ephraim laughed. "I'm surprised you survived."

"Me too."

The banter continued up to the castle, and into the Great Hall. The new students were sorted, Victoire's little brother Louis making it into Gryffindor, much to the relief of his sister.

Professor McGonagall, the old Headmistress, welcomed them all to another year. Teddy liked Professor McGonagall; she was the only teacher to have taught his Grandmother, his parents and his godparents. He also knew her outside of school, as a lot of the Potter and Weasley family were still quite close with her. He waved to Professor Longbottom, who was also head of Gryffindor house, and another family friend, and Hagrid of course, who was still teaching Care of Magical Creatures, although Teddy no longer studied this subject.

Some people, (Selkirk included) often implied that the only reason Teddy got such good marks in his many subjects was because he was friends with a lot of the staff. He also knew the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Hestia Jones. She had been a friend of his parents, and had been drafted into the Hogwarts staff.

However, Teddy knew that this wasn't true. He worked hard in lessons, and knew (because they had told him so) that a personal friendship with any of the teachers would not keep him out of detention if he failed to hand in his homework. Teddy, anxious not to disappoint, had always been a model pupil in class, and had reaped the rewards when it came to O.W.L. results.

The plates in front of Teddy filled with food. He helped himself hungrily to steak and chips, chatting away with Andrew and Ephraim, and encouraging Finn to talk more. The main course disappeared, and the puddings took their place. Teddy eagerly helped himself to an extra large slice of chocolate cake.

Feeling full and content, he listened to the start of term notices, about Quidditch, banned objects and forbidden areas of the school. He was thinking of his warm and cosy bed up in Gryffindor tower, and this thought remained as he helped lead a group of new first years up to the portrait hole, and told them the password and where to go to find their dormitories.

When he had finished, he heard a voice call his name. Andrew, Ephraim, Finn, and Aidan, who was once more wrapped around Kelly, were sat in the good armchairs by the fire, and he went to join them. Finn was reading the _Evening Prophet_ while Andrew and Ephraim were throwing what looked like a firework of some sort to one another.

Teddy only stayed for a little while. He was extremely tired, and went to bed before any of the others.

As he lay in his four-poster bed, his thoughts strayed once again to Victoire. He was still a little annoyed at the way Felicity had tried to flirt with him. _I mean,_ he thought, _when have I ever shown any interest in her?_ Although quite pretty, she was too bitchy for him. He didn't fancy her at all.

He and Victoire would probably have a laugh about it later. Victoire didn't like her either. He could tell she was jealous of Victoire. _Why wouldn't she be? _he thought. _Victoire's much prettier. And nicer. And more intelligent_. _And why am I thinking about this?_ He had never really thought about his childhood friend in that way. He wasn't some sort of disgusting player like Selkirk. He didn't view every girl as a potential girlfriend.

So how did other guys see Victoire? A lot of his friends thought she was attractive, and he didn't blame them. She was definitely the prettiest girl he'd ever met. He felt suddenly protective of her. He didn't want guys like Selkirk messing her around. She was so pure and perfect. She didn't need her heart broken by someone like him.

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**Sorry this is a slightly short chapter, I just don't want them to become boring by me rambling on, and I wanted the expositional stuff to end, so I can continue with the story. Believe me, later chapters are considerably longer!  
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**Thanks for reading, please leave a review!  
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	6. Chapter 5: A Whole Conversation

Victoire

Victoire sat at the breakfast table, eating her cereal, and reading the _Daily Prophet_. Jenny was sat next to her, reading one of her new textbooks for that year. Both were attempting to tune out the silly giggles of Felicity, Diana and Jasmine, right next to them.

It wasn't really working.

"I can't believe you've actually spoken directly to him!"

"I know! He is so hot!"

"Oh my, he's looking over!"

"I love his hair today."

"_He's walking towards us!_"

"Shh! Act normal! Hi Teddy!"

Victoire looked up. Teddy was there, his hair was blonde and floppy today, and it fell in his eyes. "Hey Vic," he said grinning mischievously.

Victoire glanced quickly at the other girls. They were blatantly staring at Teddy, mouths open. "Hey," Victoire said. "You all right?"

"Sure," he said. "Just letting you know, I know it's early days, but I've booked the Quidditch pitch for a week Saturday, for the try-outs."

"Great, I'll stick that one in my diary. By the way, do I have to try out again?"

"No, of course not!" Teddy looked amazed.

"Really? That's nice and all, but don't you think it would be a good idea? There might be someone much better than me.. Are you holding trials for all the other spots?" She glanced around again. The girls were still watching them, fascinated by their conversation, apart from Jenny, who continued to read her textbook.

"I don't know. Do you think it's worth it?" Teddy looked worried.

"Well, it's more fair. How many spots need filling, if we keep what's left of the team?"

Ted thought for a moment. "Keeper, one chaser, one beater. Fawcett's only in sixth year, and then there's you, me and Fred."

"I don't know. It is your first time as Captain. It might look as though you've kept us because we're your friends. I think it's best if you hold a trial for the whole team. There might be someone better than us out there."

"I doubt that," Teddy said, his eyes twinkling. "But I suppose you're right."

Victoire laughed. "You never know. See you around then."

"See you."

Victoire turned back to her cereal, ignoring the three sets of incredulous eyes watching her. After a minute or so, she could tell they were still staring. She looked up. "Can I help you?"

"You just spoke to Teddy Lupin?" Felicity said, amazed. "Like an actual full conversation!"

"Yes, we're friends. I told you this already." Honestly. She had thought that this girl was clever.

"How did you manage to have a whole conversation without being tongue-tied?" Diana asked. "I'd be too distracted by those gorgeous eyes."

"And that gorgeous smile," Jasmine giggled.

"And yet I manage," Victoire muttered dryly.

"And he's Quidditch Captain too!"

"When did he say the try-outs were Victoire?"

"I didn't know you played Felicity." Victoire was filled with a sudden sense of dread.

"Well, now there's a little incentive to try out! Besides, if you can do it, how hard can it be?"

It was comments like that which made Victoire dislike her. Jenny looked up and rolled her eyes. "I prefer watching Quidditch myself," she commented. "I can barely keep the broom in the air."

"Quidditch can be really difficult," Victoire added. "My aunt Ginny used to play professionally."

"Have you seen much of her recently?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, I was babysitting for the little cousins a little over the summer. And the whole family met up for dinner the night before we left. 'Cept Molly, because she wasn't back yet."

"Someone say my name?" Molly was walking right past Victoire, with a group of friends.

"Talking about you, not to you," Victoire said sweetly.

Molly laughed, and carried on walking. Just then, Professor Longbottom arrived at their table, distributing their timetables.

"Hi sir," Victoire said. "How're Hannah and the kids?"

"Fine, fine," Neville smiled. "Alice is such a troublemaker. I dread her coming to Hogwarts." He tapped the piece of parchment and handed Victoire her timetable.

"Wow, great Wednesday," Victoire sighed. "History of Magic. Double period." She put her head on the desk and groaned.

"Don't worry," Jenny said. "Look, you've got Care of Magical Creatures after that. And then double Transfiguration and Charms. That's not too bad. At least we get outside for a bit."

"Only three days until the weekend. I wish we could do Modern History now, instead of all this goblin riot stuff. At least I can listen to Professor Morton without going into a coma."

After the second wizarding war, Hogwarts had begun a new, compulsory course, which told the events leading up to war, and Lord Voldemort's rise to power. Victoire knew a lot of it already, as a lot of the course involved events in which her family members had taken part. There was a whole unit dedicated to the adventures of her aunt and two uncles. Often, as well as his Defence Against the Dark Arts sessions, Harry would come in to give a talk about the events of that year, and answer questions on it.

"I know. But we have to stick it out with Binns for another year," Jenny assured her.

"Speaking of…"

"Yeah, let's go." The two girls stood up, not even bothering to say goodbye to their companions, who were too busy discussing Teddy to realise that they only had five minutes to get to their first class.

Victoire was walking along the third floor corridor, when she spotted her little brother and a tiny, dark haired boy looking thoroughly lost.

"Need any help?" she asked.

Louis looked up, his eyes grateful. "Where's the Transfiguration classroom?" he asked.

"It's on the next floor up. Come on, it's on our way, I'll show you." She led her little brother and his friend to the classroom, where they were, unsurprisingly, the first ones there. Victoire hugged her little brother (who squirmed away from her, as all little brothers should) and wished him luck. She and Jenny then continued to their own classroom.

It took only five minutes of Professor Binns' droning voice to make Victoire want to sleep. She forced herself to make the occasional note. She learned better from books anyway. She looked around lazily at her fellow classmates, most of whom were sleeping, unused to being awake so early, or doodling on the edge of their parchment.

She was definitely back at Hogwarts.

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**I have a confession... I borrowed the idea of the modern history from another fanfic. It's an absolutely amazing one, I strongly reccomend you read it! It's called Try and Tri Again, and can be found in my favourites.  
**

**Thanks for reading, please leave a review!  
**


	7. Chapter 6: A Feeling of Calm

Teddy

Teddy was listening attentively to the Charms teacher, Professor Rowlands. He was trying to ignore the ink pellets and flying spit wads behind him that many of his classmates were throwing.

Teddy liked Charms a lot, and he needed it so that he could become an Auror. He was good at Charms, and especially good at Transfiguration. He enjoyed DADA as well. Sometimes his friends teased him for being a swot. But he needed good N.E.W.T.s in order to join his godfather in the Auror department. And besides, they apologized for teasing him when it came to the exams, and they were borrowing his notes.

The bell rang and he followed the general crowd towards the Great Hall for lunch. He passed Victoire where she was sitting with one of the nice girls from Gryffindor, and her cousin Molly and some of Molly's friends. He smiled and they waved back, continuing their conversation. He saw Felicity trying to get his attention and pointedly looked away from her. The last thing she needed was encouragement.

He sat down to an excellent lunch, talking to Finn about that mornings Transfiguration homework. Finn was such a quiet boy, people often forgot that he was there, but when you got him talking he was an extremely interesting person.

After lunch, Teddy made his way to the Gryffindor common room to take advantage of his first free period of the term, before they became filled with homework. He unfortunately had to pass Selkirk on his way out. Teddy changed his hair to a more nondescript colour, in order to go unnoticed. He was going to walk straight past him, when he heard a familiar name.

"… Weasley's looking pretty good this year." Teddy stiffened. He skulked behind Selkirk in order to hear what he said next.

"I know," one of his arsehole friends said. "Talk about puberty working out."

"Well, she's always been pretty, I suppose," another friend commented. Teddy realised he was grinding his teeth. He didn't like hearing Victoire talked about in that way. He continued to follow them, amazed that they hadn't spotted him yet.

"Yeah but now… I mean, you could go out with her now, and no one would think any the less of you."

"Do you reckon she's…"

"Oh yeah. Never even had a boyfriend."

"Well, I don't know. She and that Teddy Lupin seem pretty close."

"Ha," Selkirk scoffed. "They're just friends. If I'd been her friend that long I'd have made a move already. But he hasn't as far as I know. So there's probably nothing there. Which means she's up for the taking."

"You're probably right." Teddy could feel his hair subconsciously turning flame red. But after that comment, the topic of conversation moved onto the Transfiguration homework, and Teddy felt it safe to slip behind a tapestry that concealed a hidden passageway.

He was fuming. He couldn't believe that someone, a supposedly intelligent someone, would speak about Victoire like that. Not that he didn't think Victoire was pretty. But to talk about her as though she was some kind of object like that! Teddy's dislike for Selkirk had increased vastly after hearing that conversation, something he hadn't thought would be possible.

He needed to clear his head. He suddenly couldn't stand the idea of sitting in the common room doing nothing. He ran through the passages that he had come to know so well, until he reached the common room. He bolted upstairs and grabbed his Firebolt (a present from Harry) and made his way out to the Quidditch pitch.

He kicked the hard ground, and shot into the air. The feeling of elation rose within him. The wind whipped his hair, which turned back to his favourite blue as he instantly relaxed. Just being airborne gave him the greatest feeling of calm. This was easy, this was simple, this was natural, as natural as changing his hair colour. He remembered Harry's story about the first time his godfather had ridden a broomstick, and he had been drafted into the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He understood how his Godfather had felt.

Teddy loved flying in conditions like these. The air smelled fresh and clean, and felt damp, but not heavy, as a light drizzle permeated the air. It felt so good to have the wind in his hair and the rain on his face.

He rolled over on his broomstick, and flitted around the goalposts. He accelerated as fast as he could, until his broom couldn't go any faster, something he couldn't often do in matches or in practise, as he had to communicate with the other chasers.

After nearly an hour, he felt that he had calmed down enough to return to the common room. He landed on the grass, and walked back up to the common room. His hair was all over the place, but it was a calmer shade. He picked up his books for his double Potions lesson, and made his way to the dungeons.

Potions was not Teddy's best subject, but he needed it in order to be an Auror, so he suffered in silence. The potions teacher, Professor McKinley, was an incredibly patient man, and incredibly helpful. He drifted between cauldrons, kindly pointing out errors, or areas for improvement.

After Potions, it was dinnertime, and Teddy helped himself to chicken pie and potatoes. His flying session had left him absolutely famished, and he tucked in heartily.

"Careful there, don't give yourself indigestion!" It was Victoire again.

Teddy tried to grin through the mouthful of pie. Victoire laughed. "All that flying tire you out?"

Teddy nearly spat his mouthful of pie. He finished chewing and swallowed, before saying, "how did you know about that?"

"I saw through the window of my Transfiguration class. There aren't many guys with blue hair in this school, not to mention ones who can fly that fast."

"Fair enough."

"You seemed pretty angry when you were out there. Was something wrong?"

"No… I just… needed to clear my head that's all. I was a little… stressed. After Transfiguration."

"Right. Ok. Well, I'd better get over there."

"Tell Felicity I say hi," Teddy grinned. Victoire scowled.

"Her head will probably explode," she muttered.

"All the more reason to do it. And make sure you clean up. There's nothing like an exploded head to put you off your dinner."

Victoire laughed. "I'll bear that in mind." And she walked away to sit with her friends, who immediately questioned by Felicity and her minions. He turned back to his pie, grinning to himself.

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**Hmm, don't know about this chapter. Oh well. I hope it's staying interesting. Let me know!  
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	8. Chapter 7: Of Trials and Tribulations

Victoire

Victoire could hardly believe that she had been at Hogwarts for over a week. It was so easy, fitting back into the same pattern, that it felt as though she had barely been away. She was being worked incredibly hard, but was able to keep up with it all, thanks to a lot of hours spent in the library and a lot of help from her cleverer Ravenclaw friends.

Finally, it was the Saturday of the Quidditch trials, and Victoire walked to the Quidditch pitch feeling reasonably confident. No-one for the past two years had been close to beating her in the trials, and she wasn't going to give up her spot easily.

Teddy had taken her advice to keep every spot open and give everyone a fair chance. She had been slightly nervous, but she hadn't wanted people like Felicity to imply that she was only on the team because of her friendship with Teddy.

Teddy held a basic flight test, then asked everyone who passed to divide into which position they would like to play. There were only three applicants for seeker, including herself. One was a sixth year, Michael Hooper, who Victoire recognised but didn't really like, because he often stared at her as though he was mentally undressing her, and the other was a third year, who looked tiny in comparison, and was shaking slightly.

Teddy held up a small golden ball. "This snitch has been enchanted so that it can't leave the Quidditch pitch. You're going to have to try and catch it. The person who catches the most out of five will be seeker. There will be a bludger up there as well, so look out. Any questions? No? Good. I'm going to let it out, and on my whistle you have to try and find it."

Teddy released the tiny golden ball. Victoire tried to keep track of it, but it was too fast, and disappeared almost instantly. Teddy blew the whistle and Victoire kicked off hard.

It felt amazing to be in the air again. Victoire hadn't had the chance to fly since term had begun, but she knew she didn't have time to enjoy the feeling right now. She had to find the snitch. After about two minutes she spotted it hovering by the goalposts. Glancing around and seeing that Hooper was watching her, she moved slowly towards it, never taking her eyes off it, until she was about twenty metres away. She suddenly put on a burst of speed, and by the time her opponents had realised what was happening she was two metres away. She reached out, and swiped the fluttering golden ball from the air.

Teddy's whistle blew. "One for me," Victoire muttered.

"One for Victoire," Teddy called. Victoire smiled. "Let go of it, Victoire," Teddy instructed. Victoire did. "On my whistle!" The whistle blew and the potential seekers were off again.

Victoire managed to catch the snitch once more, as it hovered by the stands. But then, Hooper managed to catch it when she was only three metres away from it, and she cursed herself. She had spotted it first, but he had been nearer.

He then caught it one more time, giving her a smug smile, and making the score two all. The third year was forgotten, he seemed too easily intimidated by the older players. It became a direct affair between Victoire and Hooper. Both swooped like eagles in their attempt to find the snitch.

Victoire spotted it first. They were both an equal distance from it, and Victoire accelerated towards it, holding the advantage. But Hooper had noticed, and was also accelerating. The snitch sped off, but both seekers were following it, neck in neck.

Suddenly, Victoire put on a sudden burst of speed. The surprise of this action confused Hooper, and he lost focus for just a second. That was all that Victoire needed to reach out and swipe the snitch from the air. _YES!_ She thought. The crowd of people who had come to watch were cheering as well. Victoire and Hooper landed on the pitch and Teddy made his way over to them. The third year made his way back to the stands, looking severely put out.

"Well done Victoire, you've made seeker," Teddy said, grinning happily.

"That's not fair," Hooper argued. "She had a lucky break. We were neck in neck."

"I'm sorry, I told you how it works. You caught two. Victoire caught three. And, to be fair, she spotted it first on the third release. I'm sorry, but that's my final word."

"Pfft," Hooper spat. "You only let her on because she's a friend and she's nicer to look at than I am."

Teddy's hair darkened for a second, before gradually lightening out. Victoire could tell that he was counting to five before answering. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't criticise my judgement Hooper," he said, with a creditable amount of calm. " You see, I'm the Captain of this team. Do I need to remind you that I'm also a prefect, and if you continue to be rude and criticise my decision? And may I also remind you, that a good fifty or more people just saw Victoire earn her place on this team. Victoire is seeker. She won it fair and square."

Hooper looked mutinous, but decided that it wasn't worth it. He turned on his heel and stormed off the pitch. Teddy watched him go, then turned to Victoire, who jumped up to give him a hug.

"Thank you!" she cried.

"What are you talking about? You earned your spot. Congratulations." Victoire hugged him tighter, before running over to the stands, acknowledging the applause with a theatrical wave, to sit with Jenny and Molly.

"Well done Vic!" her sister Dominique cried from her place in the stands. Victoire smiled and sat down to watch the Beater trials.

Fred made his way back on to the team with ease. The only other beater with any discernable decree of talent was a rather large third year girl called Millie Pullman, who worked well with Fred, and managed to hit the target they were aiming at so hard that it snapped in half.

Now it was time for the chaser trials. Victoire knew that Abigail Fawcett was probably the best chaser after Teddy, as she had been on the team since her third year, and no one had managed to take her place.

Victoire was surprised to see that Felicity had made it through the basic flight test, but that was nothing compared to her surprise at the girls flying ability, which became clear five minutes into the trials. Victoire hated to admit it, but Felicity could fly. Well. She scored almost as many goals as Abigail and Teddy, and more than any of the other applicants.

Victoire felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Teddy was going to have to put her on the team. It was obvious that she was the only choice. She worked well with Abigail, and was very nimble on her broomstick.

Finally the results were announced. Felicity and Abigail had made the team. Victoire's heart sank. However, she didn't want to seem sour; after all, Teddy had made the right decision for the team, and she applauded the two girls along with the rest of the crowd.

The chasers were not yet finished. They had to try out the keepers. Eventually, after half an hour and several tantrums, Teddy had chosen his keeper, Phillip Langley, a fellow fifth year and friend of Victoire's, who had saved more than any of the others, although didn't quite have the talent that the previous keeper had had.

Teddy called the team together to set a date for their first practice. The team then dispersed, but Victoire hung back. Teddy was busy packing up the alls, but he looked up. "Hey Vic," he said. "Look, I'm really sorry about putting Felicity on the team. I know you don't like her. But-"

"I know. I would have put her on the team as well. I didn't know she was that good. I'll just have to live with her. It's what's best for the team."

"At least she isn't trying to get you to ask her out," Teddy groaned. "Every time I walk past her she laughs like a crazy person and bats her eyelashes."

"She thinks it makes her attractive," Victoire laughed.

"She looks like she has an eye infection," Teddy laughed. "Anyway, she'll never be as pretty as you."

Victoire looked up. "Really? You think I'm pretty?"

Teddy's hair flushed red. "Well, yeah. Have you ever seen yourself?"

Victoire smiled. Her heart was racing. "I make a point of avoiding it." He couldn't possibly know how the simple compliement had made her feel. Usually she hated it. Coming from his smiling mouth, she couldn't remember why. "Thanks Teddy," she said sincerely.

"No problem."

Victoire could feel a blush starting to creep up on her, as she looked into Teddy's currently blue eyes. They seemed to be searching her, as they gazed right back. "Umm… lunch," Victoire mumbled. Her brain felt a bit scrambled, and she struggled to recollect her thoughts. "We'd better go, or all the food will be gone."

"Right," Teddy said, shaking his head so that his hair, which had stayed tomato red, melted back to turquoise. "Let's go."

The two of them walked back up to the castle, laughing and talking all the way.

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**Bet you weren't expecting Felicity to make the team! But every character has some redeeming features.  
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**Thanks for all your continued support and amazing reviews.  
**


	9. Chapter 8: Make Them Proud

Teddy

It was shaping up to be a difficult year for Teddy. All of his classes were pressing so much work upon him, that he was surprised that he could keep up with it all. And on top of that, he had to deal with Quidditch practices, and attempt not to kill Selkirk every time he saw him, which, unfortunately, was fairly frequently.

The weeks flew by in a haze of homework and Quidditch. The first match of the season, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin was looming, and Teddy was determined to win. He knew that his team had the potential and the talent to win the cup. This was his last chance to bring the team he had been on since second year to victory.

He only wished that there had been a better chaser than Felicity at the trials.

The more he came into contact with her, the more he disliked her. He hated the way she treated Victoire, handing out the occasional barbed comment, which clearly hurt Victoire's feelings. He was impressed with the way Victoire dealt with them, as many of them concerned her family, and those ones hurt him too, as a lot of her family was his family, in spirit at least.

He also didn't like it that Felicity kept trying to flirt with him, and get him alone after practise. He always made sure that he was with Fred or Phillip Langley, his keeper, and, as it turned out, a really great guy. He avoided her and her silly fake laugh as much as possible.

Some more selfish Captains would have found some excuse to take her off the team. But Teddy couldn't bring himself to do that. She really was a great chaser. She worked well with Abigail and himself, and there was no one else in the house good enough to replace her.

He had to think about what was best for the team, and what was best for the team involved having to put up with her every practise. However, if they won the cup, surely this wasn't too harsh a price to pay? No one else except for himself and Victoire had a problem with her, and both of them knew that she was the best choice. So Teddy stuck to avoiding her and trying not to encourage her whenever she tried to flirt with him. As a result, the team was one of the best Teddy had ever been part of.

However, Teddy found himself continuously distracted. He couldn't imagine why, but he kept thinking about Victoire. She was constantly on his mind, and it was beginning to irritate him. It seemed ridiculous, how much he looked forward to Quidditch practise, when he would often walk back with her. He couldn't keep his eyes off her during practise, and had received several bludger injuries because of this. She was a beautiful flier, like a bird.

Whenever he found himself thinking things like that, he always gave himself a mental kick.

He wasn't the only one however. He had heard several boys discussing her in the corridors. Most people seemed to think that she had "come out of her shell" this year. Teddy hated overhearing people speaking about her that way, but whenever he did, he felt compelled to listen. He told himself that he was only acting as an older brother, that this protectiveness was natural; he had, after all, known Victoire for all of her life. It was only expected that he should feel protective of her.

Teddy found that submerging himself in work was the best way to stop himself from thinking about her. He spent any hours that he wasn't practising Quidditch working in the library, and often found that it was necessary, because of the vast amounts of homework and reading he was supposed to do.

The teachers were also going on and on about their new scheme of "work experience". They wanted all of the seventh years to spend a whole week working in the field in which they intended to go into after Hogwarts. This would show them if it was the right job for them.

Teddy wrote to his godfather at once, and received a reply, saying that Harry would be happy to have him for the week. Teddy was excited. Finally he was going to experience what it was like to be part of the Auror office! It had been his dream for so long. He felt that his parents would have been proud of him.

The day he received Harry's reply, he went down to his parents' memorial stones in the grounds. There was a slightly nippy wind, but he didn't care. He sat beside the smooth white stones that bore the names of his parents.

"I'm going to be an Auror," he whispered. "I'm working really hard. I'm going to work with Harry, I'm going to make you so proud." A hot tear slid down his face. He didn't bother to wipe it away. There was no one to see it.

He slipped his hand into the Mokeskin pouch that Harry hade given him, that he always kept with him. He lifted the battered and aged photograph from it. He looked into the laughing face of his mother, her hair bright pink, as she gazed in adoration at the tiny child in her arms, with a tuft of blue hair. He watched as his father stroked his hair, looking from the baby Teddy to his mother, the love in his eyes clear.

Teddy closed his eyes, trying to remember them. He probed into the dusty corners of his memory, straining for the slightest thing. But there was nothing, nothing at all. He supposed he was too young to remember them, and that thought made him feel so very alone. Almost as if they hadn't existed at all.

Yet there in his hand was proof that they had. In his trunk there was a whole book of photographs of them both. Harry and some other friends of his parents had made it for him. Yet it wasn't the same as remembering for yourself.

"I'll be like you mum," he whispered. "I'll work so hard, I promise." He touched the white stone of his mother's memorial. He then turned to his father's. "I miss you," he whispered. "I wish you could see me. You'd be so proud of me."

He drew his wand, and waved it in a line. A single rose bloomed in the air, which he duplicated. He laid one each on the memorials for his parents, then stood. He looked at them. It seemed a pitiful gesture.

Another tear slid down his cheek. Teddy caught sight of his reflection in the glassy waters of the lake. His eyes were red, and his hair was mousy brown. He sighed, and made his way back up to the castle.

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**Fairly depressing chapter, sorry. He will cheer up, don't worry.  
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**Thanks for the amazing comments I've been getting, they really brighten my day. Unfortunately I'm going to London tomorrow for a couple of days, so there won't be any more chapters at least until Tuesday.  
**

**Thanks again for your continued support.  
**


	10. Chapter 9: Stupid and Sentimental

Victoire

Victoire looked along the Gryffindor table. She saw Teddy sat there, playing absent-mindedly with his stew. He was, most unusually, alone, but what alarmed Victoire most was that his eyes looked red, and his hair was the plain brown colour that he always wore when he was upset.

Victoire stood up, leaving Felicity mid-sentence, and walked down to where he was sat.

"You all right?" she asked.

Teddy looked up, and tried to force a smile. "I'm fine Vic," he said in a slightly tired voice.

Victoire laughed. "No, you're not. You look bloody miserable. And your hair's that colour it goes when you're depressed. So spill."

Teddy sighed. "I'm fine. Just a bit emotional. I… I went to visit my parents."

"Oh." Visiting his parents often made him upset. She squeezed his hand. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. It was difficult to know how to talk to Teddy about his parents, but what the heck, she was going to give it a shot.

"I was telling them about getting work experience with Harry. And how I'm going to be an Auror. I guess I just got a bit stupid and sentimental."

"It's not stupid. Your parents would be proud of you."

"Yeah, well, thanks to some lousy Death Eaters I'll never know," he said bitterly.

"Don't talk like that!" Victoire was shocked. "I know they're watching over you. Just like Uncle Fred, and Harry's parents, and Mad-Eye and all those other wonderful people our parents told us about. They're watching out for us. I know that they're proud of everything you've done."

"Really?" Teddy looked slightly hopeful, and Victoire thought she saw his hair flicker slightly.

"Of course!" Victoire said. "But what's most important is that you believe it. Do you think that Harry could have done all those things if he didn't think his parents were watching him? Do you think Uncle George could have got his life back together if he didn't believe that Fred was looking out for him? You need to believe Teddy." Victoire was surprised by this outburst. She hadn't known that she felt so strongly about it.

"But what of believing isn't enough?" he asked.

"You can't know everything. But _I _believe that they're watching us. And that they're proud of you. They'd have to be." _You're such a wonderful, amazing person. _ Where had that thought come from?

Finally Teddy smiled, and his hair flickered, until settling upon a weak, but definitely present, blue. Victoire grinned. "That's better," she said.

"When did you get so smart?" he asked, giving her a searching look.

"I've always been this smart," Victoire replied, giving him a dazzling smile. "I just chose not to share my amazing intelligence with you. I didn't want you feeling like I outshine you."

Teddy chuckled slightly, the blue becoming more present. "Now," Victoire told him. "Cheer up and have some chocolate cake." She moved his plate out of the way, and in its place put an enormous slice of the chocolate cake that she knew was Teddy's favourite.

"Thanks Victoire," he said, squeezing her hand. "You always know how to make me feel better."

"Well, I do know you better than anyone else," she laughed. "Now eat your cake like a good little boy."

Teddy laughed. "You'd better get back over there. I can tell Felicity is itching for the details of our conversation."

Victoire looked across. Felicity was indeed staring at her enviously.

"I'll make something up," Victoire said, grinning.

After convincing Felicity that their conversation had merely been about spending Christmas at the Burrow, Victoire and Jenny made their way up to the common room. Victoire was hoping to take advantage of the Quidditch free evening and get some homework done. However, she found herself distracted.

She had really enjoyed the conversation with Teddy earlier. She found herself replaying it over and over, savouring every moment in which she had made him laugh or smile.

_What am I doing?_ She suddenly thought. _Why am I thinking like this?_

She had no idea why she was thinking like this. Was it the remnants of her childish crush, come back to haunt her? She hoped not. That had been embarrassing to deal with, and she had lived in fear that someone, especially Teddy, would find out. _No_, she decided. She was not going through that again. She was just being stupid and sentimental.

Teddy was her friend, like a big brother to her, the oldest of the Weasley-Potter children, an honorary member of the family. Apart from his grandmother, the Weasleys and the Potters were the closest thing to family he had. She was not going to mess that up for him.

Yet the thought of Felicity trying to flirt with Teddy made her blood boil in an unexplainable way. She couldn't bear the thought that he might actually be into her, although she knew that this was impossible. It had to be. It had better be.

Yet this was surely the protectiveness with which any girl would view her older brother? She didn't want Teddy to go out with Felicity, because she wanted Teddy to be happy, and all one had to do was look at Felicity's dating record to deduce that she was not a good girlfriend. She wanted Teddy to be happy. Was that so wrong?

"Victoire?"

Victoire jumped slightly. She had forgotten her surroundings, and as that voice jerked her back into reality, the sounds of the crackling fire, the chattering Gryffindors and the ominous pops of whatever new _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_ product Fred was testing out came beck to her. She looked to the owner of the voice.

"What?"

"You were sort of staring into space for almost a minute," Jenny replied. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, fine," Victoire said. "Just… drifted off for a minute I guess."

Jenny smiled, in an almost knowing way. "Oh, look," she commented. "The latest instalment of _Felicity tries to flirt with Teddy_."

Victoire's head whipped around. Teddy had just entered the common room, looking remarkably more cheerful than he had done at dinner. He was walking over to the table of his friends, when he was intercepted by Felicity, who was clearly doing her best to catch his attention. He awkwardly spoke to her for a minute, clearly desperate to escape.

Victoire couldn't hear anything of their conversation, but judging by Felicity's wild hand gestures and exaggerated laughter, it must have been invigorating. Victoire was sorry to have missed it. Finally he managed to deflect her, joining his table of friends with a look of relief on his face. Victoire realised that she had been grinding her teeth, and released her jaw.

But again, this was only to be expected. For a little sister.

"Does it bother you?" Jenny asked. Victoire looked at her. Jenny's eyes had been perceptively trained upon her face.

Victoire shrugged. "Does what bother me?" she asked, trying to remain casual.

"You know."

"Do I?"

"Well," Jenny said. "If you don't want to talk about it, fine. It's just… well, it looks like it bothers you."

Victoire thought about this. It did bother her, of course it did. But she didn't want Jenny thinking that it bothered her for the wrong reasons. He was just a friend, a brother even.

She was about to reply, when a whiff of sickly strawberry engulfed them. Felicity had decided to join them. Victoire was fairly sure that it wasn't to discuss the potions essay they were trying to complete, and she wasn't wrong.

"Wow, that Teddy Lupin sure seems shy," she said, and Victoire was pleased, in a small, smug part of her that she didn't like to talk about, that she seemed fairly put out. "What's your secret, Victoire?"

"What do you mean?" Victoire asked, in a bored voice, rolling her eyes at Jenny.

"I mean, what's so special about you that makes him want to talk to you, but not to me? What've you got that I haven't?" she asked. Victoire almost laughed. Felicity was clearly in the bathroom when touching up her make-up when they decided to teach tact. But clearly she had attended all the lectures on back-handed compliments and how to innocently deliver bitchy remarks.

What Victoire found the most funny was that Felicity seemed genuinely worried.

"I suppose, because we're _friends,_ that's why he's willing to exchange words with me," Victoire said.

"But I don't understand, how you can just be _friends_ with a guy?" Felicity genuinely seemed confused. "I mean, come on, you don't fancy him just a teeny, tiny bit?"

"No!" Victoire snapped, more forcefully than she had meant to. "It's just as possible to be friends with a boy as it is with a girl." _Just stop imagining how to get them into your pants, and you'll realise that they're human beings too_.

"Hmm. Well, if you say so," Felicity mumbled, before going to sit with Diana and Jasmine.

"She really has no idea," Jenny muttered.

"None at all," Victoire agreed.

"And for what it's worth," Jenny added, "You've got plenty of things she hasn't. Tact for one. And a good deal of common sense."

Victoire grinned. "Thanks." It was always nice to know that she had real friends out there.

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**Hope you enjoyed it. Victoire always knows how to cheer Teddy up.  
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**Thanks for the awsome reviews and everything.  
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	11. Chapter 10: Think Like Slytherin

**I haven't actually said this yet for this story, even though it isn't really necessary. You know I'm not J.K. Rowling. But, for the record, J.K. Rowling owns all of this.  
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Teddy

The end of October was fast approaching, and with it brought the many joys of the Halloween feast, and the beginning of the Quidditch season.

The feast itself was magnificent. Enormous pumpkins filled with candles hung over each of the tables, glowing red and gold, yellow and black, blue and bronze, and green and silver. Bats flew under the enchanted ceiling, and afterwards the students were treated to a dramatic play, acted out by the ghosts.

Teddy had been worried that he might miss it; the full moon had been earlier that week, and once a month he always had a terrible headache, which lasted a few days, and felt grouchy and irritable. He often found that it was best if he stayed away from people on those nights, as he knew that he wasn't very nice company. Everything irritated him, and he desperately didn't want to lose his temper with his friends.

At first he had stayed in his dormitory, hiding under his blankets, blocking his ears with a pillow. But, in his second year, when he had confided in Harry how he was having trouble dealing with his monthly headaches, his godfather had told him about the Room of Requirement. This was where he hid himself every month. It was wonderful. The room was cool and quiet, with plenty of iced water in jugs, and occasionally, butterbeer. There was a cupboard stocked with the Wolfsbane potion, which, Teddy had discovered, often helped, and sleeping potions, and a comfortable bed where he could sleep of the worst of it.

However, by Halloween, his symptoms had cleared, and he was able to enjoy the feast like everyone else, making sure to help himself to anything containing chocolate.

Only a week after that, it was time for the first Quidditch match of the season. Teddy was fairly confident. His team was brilliant, and their final practise before underlined this.

Fred Weasley was living up to the tradition set by his father and uncle. He and Millie worked seamlessly together, and their accuracy was almost faultless. Their keeper saved most of the goals, and although there was still room for improvement, Teddy hoped that the chasers wouldn't allow it to reach their goalpost. Teddy had never been part of a better team of chasers before. They worked amazingly well together, and their strategies were solid.

And of course, Victoire was an excellent seeker. He just hoped that she'd stay out of trouble long enough to catch the snitch without getting hurt. Some of the players from other teams thought she was a weak spot in the team, and tried to target her, as often happened in Quidditch. However, a lot of guys seemed to want to get her attention, and did this by trying to knock her off her broom.

The day of the match dawned unseasonably bright. There was a light dusting of frost on the pitch, which, as the sunshine melted it, caused the grass to sparkle. It was chilly, but Teddy preferred this. He hated playing in the sweltering heat.

"Right team," he said bracingly as they assembled in the changing rooms. "You've worked really hard these past few weeks. Let's show 'em what you got!" This was greeted by cheers from the team. "Right, Fred, Millie, stay out of the sun where possible, and aim for the chasers, we want them distracted. Phil, just stay confident, don't panic if the Quaffle comes near you, I know you can do this." Phillip gulped, looking pale. "And Abigail, Felicity, don't let them near the Quaffle. Pass to each other; don't sacrifice a goal by trying to claim it for yourself. We are a team, we are one unit. No one will remember how many goals we each individually scored, what's important is the final total.

"And Victoire," he turned to Victoire, and his heart gave a strange leap as he looked at her. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a high ponytail, setting off her great bone structure. She was smiling at him, with what looked a little bit like pride. Teddy almost lost his train of thought. "… Catch the snitch," he mumbled. Victoire grinned.

"And most importantly," Teddy said, "know your opponents. Our game strategies are specific to Slytherin, but that might not be enough. You need to _think_ like Slytherin." This was followed by general nods of appreciation. "Now," he said, raising his voice. "Let's win this!"

The team cheered and made their way out onto the pitch. Teddy however, hung back. He didn't want to admit it, but he was nervous. This was the first team he had captained, and although confident, he knew that he had a lot to prove. Some people implied that he only received captain because of his friendship with some of the teachers, and he was anxious to prove them wrong.

"Teddy?" It was Victoire.

"One sec," Teddy muttered, pretending to tie his shoelace.

Suddenly, he felt something collide with him. Victoire was hugging him tightly. If felt strange. They hadn't hugged for a while; they didn't normally do it at school. It was strange being in such close proximity to her again. He could smell her perfume, her flowery scent. He pulled her close, for a second, wishing that he could never let go. What was happening to him?

He pulled away, and said "come on, the team'll be waiting." Victoire followed him out, where the team was waiting for them. Together they walked onto the pitch, with the crowd screaming and cheering at them. The commentator announced their names, and the whistle blew, and all too soon the game had started, and Teddy's head was still filled with thoughts of a certain blonde seeker.

He cursed himself for not getting the Quaffle on release, and hurriedly chased the Slytherin who had. The chaser passed downfield to one of his teammates, but the other chaser hadn't been paying attention, and Felicity intercepted.

She shot downfield towards the goal, and the three Slytherin chasers began to converge on her. She was heading for the right hand goal hoop, but, as she was almost surrounded and the Slytherin keeper moved to intercept the goal, she suddenly flipped the Quaffle to Abigail, who was near the left goal post. The keeper, being on the other side of the goal, wasn't able to make it in time. Abigail was given a clear shot, and scored the first goal of the season.

Slytherin were then given possession of the Quaffle and they rocketed downfield in an arrow formation, passing between each other. Gryffindor found it hard to intercept, until a well hit bludger from Fred caused the Slytherin chasers to scatter, with the Quaffle in mid air. With no one to catch it, the Quaffle fell towards the ground, where Teddy was able to scoop it up, and pass to Abigail, who was not surrounded. She passed to Felicity, who drop-passed to Teddy, who had been flying underneath, who dodged an unhappy looking Slytherin, and aimed for the left goal, before suddenly changing direction and hurling it into the right hand post, scoring another goal.

The match continued ferociously, with Slytherin managing to break through the Gryffindor tactics to score two goals for themselves. Felicity then scored twice, followed by another from Abigail, bringing the score to 50-20. Half an hour in, Gryffindor had scored twice more, and Phillip had made two excellent saves, and was gaining more confidence. There had still been no sign of the snitch.

However, after forty-five minutes, in which the score had been brought to 80-30, the commentator let out a yell of glee.

"And it appears that Gryffindor seeker Victoire Weasley has seen the snitch!"

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**Quidditch match! Exciting!  
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**Because I haven't said in a while, thanks to...  
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**narniaandharrypotter4ever, iheartweasleytwins, HogwartsDreamer113, Paralove, GreenField, nik-edward is my love, Hallows Searcher, TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish, My Thunder, meganooch, mimzy69, JessandDarcy, Eeyore1999, PJHPSGfan, NifflerPajamas0519 and the one guest reviewer.  
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**Your reviews make my day better. Love you!  
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	12. Chapter 11: An Unexpected Incident

**Property of J.K. Rowling.  
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Victoire

It had been a long and, for Victoire, fairly uninteresting game. She had watched it play out around her as she swooped the pitch, searching for the tiny winged ball. Once or twice she found herself following something that turned out to be a reflection of Teddy's watch, and more than once she found herself being rammed by Slytherin players, unnoticed by the referee or the teachers. Yet it was nothing she couldn't handle.

Finally, she saw it. It was fluttering by the stands. She didn't think, she just dived, sped towards it like a bullet.

"There she goes, but Slytherin seeker Alexander Montague is hot on her tail," cried the commentator.

Victoire didn't dare look around. She could feel Montague behind her, and was even more aware of him when he rammed right into her, knocking her slightly off course. However, she kept following the snitch. They were neck in neck.

Victoire felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. It was just like the trials. Victoire knew what she had to do.

She urged her broom to go faster, and that little burst of speed was all that she needed to surprise him. He paused for a second, just like Hooper had done. The idiot. Victoire stretched her arm out. It was millimetres from her fingertips…

" WEASLEY CATCHES THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WIN 230-30!"

Victoire was flying into the air, the snitch clasped in her outstretched hand. She gazed around the stands. Gryffindors were cheering her. She flew around the pitch, the snitch raised in her fist, acknowledging the cheers of the crowd, saouring her moment of glory.

She flew towards the team, and joined the group hug. It grated on her nerves a little to see Felicity hanging off Teddy's shoulders. The team flew to the ground. Victoire found herself being singled out by Teddy who gave her another hug. "Great catch," he told her.

She smiled, and for a second, wished that he had held on a little longer. It felt so… natural to be in his arms. "Thanks," she said, grinning up at him. Smiling, laughing and joking, the team made their way back into the changing rooms.

"Great game everyone!" Teddy called to the team. "Really great." Victoire changed quickly, and followed Fred and Phillip out of the changing rooms. "Party in the common room?" Fred called, to resounding cheers from the team. Victoire was nearly out of the Quidditch stadium when she realised that she had left her jumper behind. She muttered to Fred that she'd see him in a minute and walked back to the changing rooms.

However, when she opened the door, she saw a sight which made her forget her jumper.

Teddy.

And Felicity.

Kissing.

Victoire felt frozen in time. She couldn't move, she couldn't think. She forgot completely why she was there, and backed out of the changing room, the door slamming shut behind her.

How could he? How could he kiss her? He didn't even like her! As far as she knew.

She felt the misery settle in on her, as she turned and began to run back up to the castle. Misery, tinged with anger. Anger at Teddy. Anger that it was Felicity and not herself that he was kissing in the changing rooms.

Victoire stopped. Why had she thought that? It must just be the aftermath of her childhood crush, set off by that hug Teddy had given her before the match. She didn't know if she was crazy, but she had felt… something when he had been holding her. Like this was right. Like perhaps this was the start of something. But clearly Teddy hadn't felt it, or he would be kissing her and not Felicity.

Why did she want Teddy to kiss her?

Tears began falling down her face. She couldn't believe that she was stuck back in this place again. She had convinced herself that she was done with her crush on Teddy, that it was over. Teddy was like a brother to her, something she had told herself over and over. But clearly, her crush had remained, or she wouldn't be acting so silly.

She suddenly didn't feel in the "party" mood. She wanted to be alone. She followed the remains of the crowd back to the castle, but instead of following the red and gold clad Gryffindors, she took several secret passages up to the Room of Requirement. It was her favourite place to just be alone.

She curled up on the small yet comfortable sofa that the room had provided. She looked at the small wolf charm that Teddy had given her for her charm bracelet, allowing the tears to fall freely down her face.

She reached up to her neck and pulled out her locket. Teddy had given it to her, for her birthday last year. It was beautiful, ornate, delicate, a gold, oval shaped pendant. Inside, was a picture of Victoire and Teddy, their arms round each other, laughing, taken summer before last.

She looked at his laughing face, turning from her to the camera to give a wave, then back to her. She took in every aspect of his appearance, the dark eyes, the longish messy blue hair. He was sixteen in this picture, and already looked like a man. Victoire closed the locket with a snap, and curled up, crying.

How could he kiss Felicity? He knew that she didn't like her. He knew what she was like, what a horrible girl she could be. He should have trusted his best friend's opinion. Victoire had never thought that Teddy would be the type of guy to be swayed by blonde hair and tight clothes. She had always thought that he cared more about what was underneath, what went on in the mind behind the eyes.

That was one of the reasons why she loved him. As a friend. Because they had known each other for all of their lives, before children learned to see beauty, he knew her, not her face. Just as she knew him for his quirks and habits, such as his monthly headaches and his love for anything chocolate, he liked her for her own quirks and habits, unlike the sleazy guys who fancied her because she was one of the prettiest girls in the school.

She began to think of everything that was wrong with her. Her skirts weren't short enough, she wasn't good enough at Charms, she didn't know enough gossip about who was dating who, and she'd never even had a boyfriend, let alone been kissed.

But she'd much rather be who she was. If Teddy didn't like that, then that was his problem.

This thought filled her with even more misery, as she sat alone in the Room of Requirement, crying.

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**Duh duh DUUH!  
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**Hope you enjoyed! Thanks to the wonderful people who've got this story up to 2,500 views. Thank you for taking the time to review, favourite, follow and most importantly, read!  
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	13. Chapter 12: The Truth Behind the Kiss

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
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Teddy**  
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"Party in the common room?" Fred called, to resounding cheers from the team.

Teddy watched as Victoire followed him out of the changing rooms. He bent down to tie his shoelaces, when a voice startled him.

"Great game, Teddy." He had thought he was alone, but no, Felicity had stayed behind. Teddy was instantly wary.

"Er, thanks. You did good too," he replied, hoping to keep it on a friendly, Quidditch based topic of conversation.

She moved closer to him. "You're a really great Captain," she said, batting her eyelashes. "I'd never have been able to work with the previous Captains. But you… you're amazing."

Teddy didn't know what to say. "Well, you're a good chaser. I'm happy to have you on the team." He turned around hoping to end the conversation, and bent to pick up his robes. But when he turned around, he jumped slightly. Felicity was now just inches away from him. He could smell the sickly scent of strawberries, so different to Victoire. "Er, Felicity? Would you-mmmph!"

The rest of his sentence was muffled as she attacked his lips with hers. She threw her arms around him, locking him in a tight grip. He tried to pull away from her, but she wouldn't let go. Teddy heard the door slam, but didn't see who it was, as Felicity was blocking his way.

Finally he managed to pull away from her. "Stop it Felicity!" he said.

She grinned. "Don't be so shy, I know you want this." She reached up to kiss him again, but he moved, extracting himself from her grip.

"No Felicity! I don't!" he said, stepping away from her.

"Oh, who are you kidding? I know you like me," she said walking towards him again.

"What ever gave you that idea?" Teddy cried. He had always tried to discourage her.

"You can stop playing hard to get now Teddy," she said, almost exasperated.

"I wasn't," Teddy gasped. How could he do this? "I'm really sorry. You're a great chaser, and I'm glad to have you on the team. But I just don't like you in that way."

She stopped, listening to him for the first time. "What? Why?" she demanded.

"You're just… not my type," he said.

"So what is your type then? You're not gay are you?" she sniffed.

"No, I'm not. I just don't fancy you, that's all."

She began to look upset. "Do you fancy Victoire, is that who?" she asked angrily.

"No, Felicity! Look, I'm really sorry-" Well, he wasn't really. It was her own fault.

"Oh save it!" she said crossly. "Save it for someone who cares!" her eyes were brimming with tears. She stormed across to the door o the changing rooms.

"Don't you _dare_ tell _anyone_ about this!" she said threateningly. "If you do, I'll tell everyone that you kissed me, and that you made the first move. Ugh I can't believe I fancied such an _arsehole!_"

"I won't tell anyone." But not for the reasons she was worried about.

"Good. You know, there are _plenty_ of guys who would _kill_ to be in your position! And you just take it for granted! Well, you've lost your chance Teddy Lupin!" And with that, she stormed out of the changing rooms, slamming the door.

Teddy sank onto one of the benches, his head in his hands. If he hadn't been so shaken by it, he would have found it funny. So he didn't fancy her, that made him an arsehole? He had never encouraged her, or at least, he had tried not to, and he had tried to be as nice as he could in letting her down, despite the fact that he was annoyed that she had tried to kiss him.

He looked up. He had better get to the party. He glimpsed Victoire's knitted jumper on the bench. Realising that she must have left it behind, he picked it up, and took it p to the castle.

By the time he reached the party, it was in full swing. Bottles of butterbeer and pumpkin juice and bowls of crisps and cakes were perched everywhere, and in a corner, Andrew and the rest of his mates had opened a bottle of Firewhisky. He spotted Felicity in a corner, making out with one of her ex-boyfriends. He sighed. That was no way to go about solving your problems. He saw the rest of the Quidditch team happily discussing the match. He saw Fred and Dominique sat with a group of third years, Roxie sat with her friends, Louis sat with some first years, Molly and her friends sitting with Victoire's small, dark haired friend Jenny by the fire. But not Victoire. Where could she be?

"Hey, Molly?" he asked. "You haven't seen Vic have you?"

"Not since the match," Molly said.

"We thought she was with you," Jenny added, looking a little worried.

"Victoire?" Fred joined in with the conversation. "She left with us, but she went back to get her jumper."

"Oh right," Teddy said, hiding said article behind his back. He was worried now. Where could she be?

He went and sat with Andrew and Ephraim, and the other seventh years, refusing to take a swig of Firewhisky and instead watching the door, waiting for Victoire. Finally she climbed through the portrait hole. Teddy got up, leaving Ephraim mid-sentence, and walked over to her.

"Hey Vic - woah are you ok?" He had just noticed that her eyes were red, although she still looked extremely pretty. She was also refusing to look at him.

"I'm fine," she said, sniffing slightly.

"Erm… you… you left your jumper in the changing rooms," he blurted out, handing her the jumper.

Victoire looked at it for a moment, before taking it. "Thanks," she mumbled, still not looking at him.

"You… you played really well today," he said.

Finally she looked up. In her eyes, Teddy could see something strange, something he had never really seen in her eyes when she looked at him. Hurt. "Shouldn't you be over there?" she said, pointing to the corner where Felicity was entwined with the sixth year.

"What?" Teddy was confused.

Then suddenly, it all made sense.

The slamming door. The jumper. Victoire's strange disappearance.

He put his hand to his mouth. "Oh my Godric, you didn't…"

"It's ok, Teddy."

"But it wasn't like that…" he protested

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. We aren't dating or anything. You can do whatever you like."

"But-"

"Now, could you excuse me please?" She pushed past him and ran up the stairs to the girls dormitory.

Teddy swore. How could he not have figured it out sooner? Of _course_ Victoire had come back to get her jumper. And what had she seen? Himself and Felicity snogging. How was she to know that it had all been her? If she had come in two seconds later, she would have realised that it was the opposite of what he wanted.

Teddy walked up the stairs to the boys dormitories. He was no longer in the mood for a party.

He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid as to hurt Victoire's feelings like that. She had to know that he wasn't the type of guy to be attracted to Felicity. He much preferred Victoire.

"_We aren't dating or anything."_

Teddy closed his eyes. An alien image came to him. Himself kissing Victoire instead of Felicity. He felt as though a bubble was swelling inside of him. Filled with hope. Hope that it could be possible. And it was filled with regret. Regret that through pure misfortune with a good dash of stupidity thrown in, it would probably never happen.

He wanted to kiss Victoire. He didn't want anyone else to kiss her either. He just wanted to be with her.

Teddy Lupin had fallen in love with his best friend.

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**So, yeah, a lot of you saw that one coming. Hope you enjoyed!  
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	14. Chapter 13: Friends Again

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
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Victoire

Victoire spent that night curled up on her bed crying. She felt absolutely pathetic, but knew that if she let out her anger and frustration and disappointment and confusion and all the other horrible emotions she was experiencing that night, she would find it easier to seem strong in the morning. She would be less likely to break at an inopportune moment, such as whilst speaking to Teddy.

And so Victoire cried that night, and slept late the next morning. She examined her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were only a little red, otherwise there was no evidence of her late-night tears.

She couldn't help feeling angry that she cared so much. It shouldn't matter to her. As she had said to Teddy the night before, her hear sinking as she did so, they weren't dating. They weren't related. He was just a friend, albeit a friend who was like a brother to her. But still. He was just a friend. So why did it bother her so much?

There was only one conclusion that made sense. Her childish crush had returned.

Damn.

Victoire convinced herself that it was nothing she couldn't deal with however. She would wait, avoid Teddy as much as possible, until it died down, as she was sure it would. It was just a crush.

She had missed breakfast, and had to wait until lunch to be able to eat something, meaning that she was starving. She was sat in the common room, waiting for lunch, when Jenny came over to where she was sitting.

"So what happened yesterday?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Victoire replied, in a measured casual tone.

"Really?" Jenny said, raising an eyebrow. "We're really going to play this game?"

Victoire sighed. She really didn't want to talk about it. The walls she had built up last night were still weak, and could come crashing down. She needed to stay strong, so that Teddy wouldn't see how much she was hurting.

"I'm fine, Jenny. Absolutely fine," Victoire said.

"Right," Jenny said, her eyebrows almost disappearing into her forehead. "Fine. If you ever do want to talk about it, you know where I am. I'll be waiting patiently." She began to walk away before turning around again. "I just thought you'd like to know that Felicity seems a bit upset as well this morning, and judging by the way she was wrapped around Jeff Longhurst last night, I'd say that something didn't go entirely as planned wouldn't you?"

And with that she walked away, leaving Victoire to her very confused thoughts.

At lunch, she sat with Jenny and Felicity and the other girls from her dormitory. She couldn't help noticing that the group seemed unusually quiet, and this was because Felicity wasn't saying anything. She did look upset, Victoire thought. There was only so much that could be hidden by make-up and an air of disdain. Felicity looked around at everyone, as though they were beneath her. But Victoire had a feeling that she was trying to hide something.

Back in the common room, Victoire couldn't concentrate. Her thoughts were rambling, taking bizarre and unknown paths. She needed to clear her head, and she felt that she knew the one room that would allow her to do that.

She made her way to the seventh floor, and the blank stretch of wall. For the second time in as many days she walked up and down, three times, thinking with all her heart, _I need a place to be alone_. The door materialised, and Victoire walked through it.

"What are you doing here?"

The brown-haired figure stood by the fireplace jumped and spun around.

"I could ask you the same thing," Teddy replied.

Victoire didn't answer.

"Seeing as how we've both found the same room, I assume we are here for the same reason," Teddy said.

"Sorry," Victoire mumbled, backing out. "If you want I'll-"

"Don't go!" Teddy said. "I want to talk to you! You have to let me explain!"

Victoire paused for a moment. She really should hear his side of the story. After all, what did she know? That Teddy and Felicity had kissed. And the fact that Felicity hadn't been bragging about it at Lunch, had seemed a little upset, had ended the evening in a corner with another boy, had to mean… something. She hardly dared hope what.

"All right." She sat down on the sofa where she had poured out her heart yesterday. "Explain."

Teddy looked relieved that she had given him a chance. "She attacked me Vic! She waited until all you guys had gone and then she kept talking about how good a Captain I was, doing that stupid eyelash thing, then the next thing I know she's practically on top of me! I managed to get her off, but you must have come in at the wrong moment! I can see that it must have looked awful, but you have to understand, it wasn't like that at all!"

Victoire looked at him. It made more sense, she had to admit. "So what did you do then?" she asked.

"I told her to stop, but she'd got it into her head that I'd encouraged her somehow. You know I would never do that! Then she got all offended and told me not to tell anyone, then spent the rest of the night with Longhurst! Please Vic, you have to believe me! You know I'd never be interested in someone like her!"

Victoire could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth. His eyes were pleading, desperate. Besides, she knew that most of the time, Teddy was a fairly truthful person. He wouldn't lie about something like this.

"I… I believe you," she said.

Teddy looked relieved, and his hair flickered back to blue. "Thanks. I can't believe that she thought I fancied her!"

"She does get some things into her head sometimes. Like she was convinced that Professor Rowlands was trying to make a pass at her."

"Really?" Teddy snorted. "Are you actually kidding me?"

"Not at all," Victoire said. "Jenny and I managed to convince her otherwise before she did something really stupid, like go to McGonagall about it. But she can be like that sometimes. Convinced that everyone fancies her."

Teddy laughed. "I just hope she doesn't quit the team because of this. She's the only other half-decent chaser we've got."

"Yeah," said Victoire, secretly thinking that she'd rather lose a few matches than have to put up with Felicity on the team for a year. "I'm sure she won't. It's the perfect opportunity to pretend that she doesn't like you at all, whilst secretly watching you the whole time, and trying to get you to notice her, so that she can turn you down."

Teddy laughed. "Girls really do that?"

"Sometimes," Victoire said, grinning. "Never underestimate girl logic."

"You are a strange bunch," he said.

"Ha! No stranger than boys when they're pretending to be all macho and cool in front of their friends!" Victoire protested. "If I had a knut for every boy who's tried to ask me out because they're trying to look big in front of their friends…"

Teddy laughed. "I bet you shot them down straight away."

"Hell yes! The creeps. Who do they think they are?"

"Well, it's your own fault. You really are too pretty for your own good," Teddy grinned.

Victoire blushed a little. She was glad things were all right between them. She desperately didn't want to lose his friendship.

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**I suppose I could have drawn the misunderstanding out longer... but that's unlikely to happen. They'd get through it pretty qickly, seeing as it wasnt really Teddy's fault. So yeah, hope you enjoyed it!  
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	15. Chapter 14: Christmas Fast Approaching

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
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Teddy

It was difficult to for Teddy to pretend that everything was normal. To pretend that when he saw Victoire it was nothing more than seeing his best friend.

He had thought about it long and hard. The night of the Quidditch match he hadn't slept well for going over and over his decision. He was fairly certain that Victoire saw him as nothing but a friend. They had known each other since forever, and had been best friends for as long, despite their distance at Hogwarts. And if friendship was all that she wanted, then that was what Teddy would settle for. The alternative could be that they became increasingly awkward around each other, until he had lost her completely. He didn't think that he could handle that.

There was also the issue of family. The Weasleys had always welcomed him into the family, made him feel like home. He liked to think that he was perhaps an honorary member, like a cousin, or perhaps a brother. They had always treated him as such. And Teddy didn't want to risk that either.

So he continued as before, and as the days slid closer to Christmas, the student's attention was stolen by a new and exciting event.

"It has been decided," Professor Rowlands announced as Teddy's Charms class packed away, "that this year, we will be holding a Christmas Ball, on the last night of term."

This announcement was greeted by gasps of excitement from the female members of the class, whereas the boys groaned and sighed.

"It will be open to any students in fourth year and above who wish to attend," the Charms professor continued, smiling at the reaction from his class. "But don't think that preparation for the ball will hold up as an excuse not to do your Charms homework!"

Teddy followed his friends out of the classroom. All of the girls were chatting excitedly about the ball. He sighed. This was going to be a long day.

The news spread through the school like Fiendfyre. All day, the only topic of conversation, among the girls at least, was the ball; who was going, who was asking who, and who was wearing what. Normally this type of social event at Hogwarts would have excited Teddy; Hogwarts was not, after all, famous for its social calendar.

However, this year, Teddy was not really looking forward to Christmas. This was one of the years where Christmas day coincided with a full moon. He wanted to visit the Burrow with the rest of the Weasleys, he wanted to see his Godfather. But he knew that he would be irritable and easily annoyed.

He also wasn't particularly looking forward to the Ball, although he knew that he would end up going. It seemed that in his year at least, it was expected that anyone attending the ball should bring a date, and Teddy couldn't think of anyone he wanted to ask.

Well. He could.

He couldn't think of anyone who he thought might say yes.

However, Teddy didn't really realise, but if he really wanted a date, he didn't have to look too far. Felicity wasn't the only girl who seemed to be taking an interest in him this year. Girls gathered near him while he worked in the library or the common room, and seemed determined to catch his eye whenever he walked past, doing that irritating exaggerated laugh thing that made them sound like a pack of hyenas. _Victoire would never do that,_ he thought bitterly, as the shrill cackles filled his ears as he made his way to Defence Against the Dark Arts, giving him a desperate headache which persisted for the remainder of the day.

On the first of December, the students woke to find that the castle had been decorated with boughs of holly, twinkling golden paper chains and sprigs of mistletoe. Teddy found the latter extremely inconvenient. Girls seemed to enjoy crowding underneath it when he walked past, giggling, which made him late for class more than once.

He couldn't help but notice that Victoire didn't seem too interested in the ball either. He watched her with the other girls from her dorm, and while they seemed extremely excited, she seemed to zone out of the conversation.

"Man, you've got to get a date," Aidan told him, as they sat in the common room a week before the ball. Teddy had just finished a rather difficult Potions essay. "That way, girls will stop bothering you and your friends can get to class on time!"

"Easy for you to say," Teddy muttered, nodding towards Kelly, who was draped across Aidan's lap. Aidan laughed and kissed her on the nose. She responded in kind, kissing him passionately on the lips.

Teddy mimed vomiting over the arm of his chair, but something tugged at his heart. While their behaviour frequently disgusted him, he was jealous of the couple now heartily snogging in the armchair. They made it look so easy. And they had only known each other for five years when they had started dating. He had known Victoire certainly for all of her life, and for most of his.

There was a bang and Aidan and Kelly flew apart. Ephraim laughed, as Aidan picked himself up off the floor swearing loudly. Ephraim sat himself down in the newly vacated armchair, grinning. Andrew sat down in the chair next to Teddy, and Finn sat down on the sofa and immediately opened one of the thick books he was carrying.

"Oh shut up," Ephriam said to Aidan, "you were making me want to puke up my dinner. There's nothing that puts you off a chicken pie like seeing it in reverse."

Aidan and Kelly settled down on a sofa, resorting to the "arms around one another" pose. Ephraim rolled his eyes. "So what were you girls talking about before Aidan decided to suck poor Kelly's face off?"

"We were telling Teddy to get a date for the Christmas Ball."

"You still haven't got one yet?" Ephriam asked incredulously. "Get a move on, or all the hot ones will be taken up."

Teddy, who had been hoping that the subject would be dropped, merely relied, "you can talk. You got a date?"

"Course!" Ephraim replied. "You couldn't possibly think that a devilishly handsome man such as myself would be without a date would you? I've had girls queuing up to go with me!"

"They were probably aiming for Teddy," Kelly said, "and you just got in the way."

Teddy laughed. "So who is it then?"

"Don't tell me!" Aidan said. "Moaning Myrtle!"

"Ha," Andrew laughed. "Not even Moaning Myrtle would be desperate enough to go with him!"

Ephraim laughed. "Although yes, I did consider dear Myrtle of course, my date is actually alive, and not the imprint of a spotty depressed teenager from like, a century ago."

"Does this living, clear-complexioned, sunny dispositioned girl have a name?" Andrew asked.

"Yup. Sarah Campbell."

"Seriously?" Kelly asked. "I'd have thought she would have told me. I'm like her best friend!"

"A lady must have some secrets," Ephraim replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

Kelly's eyes narrowed. "You haven't asked her yet, have you?"

"He hasn't," Finn confirmed quietly, without looking up from his Arithmancy book.

Ephraim paused, reddening slightly, shot a glare at Finn. "Well… there are still a few… things to be arranged…"

"Like her actually knowing?" Aidan asked, laughing.

"Go on mate, just ask her," Andrew said. "Otherwise you'll be stuck on your own all evening. Don't think for a second that I'll be talking to you, even out of pity."

"Fine, I will," Ephraim snapped, standing up. "Save your pity for the sucker without a date," he said, gesturing towards Teddy. He walked over to where Sarah Campbell and the other seventh year girls were sitting.

"Have you really still not got a date?" Andrew asked Teddy, who had been keeping quiet throughout the conversation, hoping to deflect attention.

"No," Teddy muttered, as Aidan and Kelly began kissing again. "Can't think who to ask."

"Why don't you ask your friend, whatshername, the pretty one? Victoire?" Teddy was speechless. Andrew raised his eyebrows. "You could go as friends."

Teddy considered this for a moment.

"Just ask her? No girl wants to be going alone, and you're like… the most wanted guy in school. Plus you're already friends. Just ask her!"

"Who're you going with?" Teddy asked.

"Beth Moore." Teddy looked blank. "You know. Ravenclaw? Sits behind us in Transfiguration? Red hair?"

"Oh yeah! Really? Her?"

"For your information, I've liked her for ages. She's really interesting, and smart and funny, and stop looking at me like that, at least I've got a date!"

"I'm just surprised to see my boy acting all grown up and in love!" Teddy laughed.

Andrew continued, "You must be the only bloke not to have one. Even Finn's got a date."

"Really? Who?" Teddy was intrigued. Although, a great guy once you got to know him, Finn was very quiet.

"Carrie Lawrence. Hufflepuff," he replied.

"Good on you mate. I suppose you're right, I should just ask Victoire. But not now though. I need to go to the library. This book's due tomorrow." He closed the book he had been using to complete his essay on truth potions and got up.

"Suit yourself. But you should probably ask her soon. She's pretty popular with the boys this year."

Teddy left the common room and walked down to the library. He kept going over his conversation with the boys. He really should ask Victoire to go with him. Just as friends. What harm could it do? He made up his mind to ask her the next time he saw her.

Which was much sooner than he had expected.

He had just handed in the book to Madam Pince, the now extremely elderly librarian, and was about to go when he heard her voice.

"Teddy!" Madam Pince glared, but he barely noticed. All his attention was focused on Victoire, her eyes, her smile, the cute smattering of freckles above her nose.

"Er… hi."

He watched as she handed the book she had been using back to the librarian, and said, "are you going back to the common room?"

"Yeah," he said, and together they walked back. Teddy couldn't think of anything to say, and she kept staring at her shoes. Teddy realised that this was the first time they had been properly alone since their discussion in the Room of Requirement. Quidditch practices had become more rare, and there always seemed to be someone else around, be it Fred or Felicity or the keeper Phillip Langley.

"Hey, Vic?" Teddy said, deciding that he had to do it sooner or later, and now was as good a time as any. "You know the Christmas Ball? I was… wondering, I mean if you didn't already… what I'm trying to say is… do you want to go? With me? Just as… friends."

Victoire looked at him, blushing slightly. "Oh… Teddy, I'm really sorry… I… already said I'd go with someone."

Teddy had not been prepared for that. "Oh… right… f-fair enough. Just… thought I'd ask."

"I'm really sorry," she said, and she genuinely looked it too. "Really." They continued walking in silence until they reached the portrait hole. "Holly Wreath," Victoire said to the Fat Lady, who obligingly swung forward, and Victoire began to climb into the portrait hole.

"Who are you going with?" Teddy couldn't stop himself from asking.

Victoire looked around. Her eyes were glittering strangely. She whispered something he couldn't quite catch.

"Pardon?"

She closed her eyes. "Euan Selkirk."

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**Don't worry, you will hear Victoire's side of the story! She does have a reason for her actions, albeit not a great one. Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited and followed. Next update shall be soon!  
**


	16. Chapter 15: Eight No's and a Yes

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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**Victoire  
**

It wasn't at all what it seemed.

"I can't believe you've turned down another one!" Jasmine said, eyes wide. "He was even quite good looking!"

They were sat in the Great Hall, and Victoire had just been asked if she would go to the Christmas Ball with a boy who she didn't even know. It was the fifth time that week. She kept getting asked out by guys, and every time she had said no.

"I don't know him," she protested. "He could be a total creep for all I know. Probably is. Why is he asking me out rather than someone he's actually spoken to before?"

"Probably because you're 'Pretty'" Felicity said, making air quotes around the word. Victoire winced, and not just at the implied insult. She hated that word, especially when it was applied to herself.

"Well, pretty is as pretty does," Jenny said, and Victoire looked at her gratefully. Felicity scowled.

"So why do you keep turning everyone down?" Diana asked.

Victoire thought for a moment. She had barely spoken to any of the boys who had asked her before. She didn't know any of them, but that wasn't the issue. She felt that they were only asking her because she was attractive, and thought that they'd look good in front of all their friends if she was with them. None of them actually wanted to know anything about her.

"Because, they're all just creeps who think they'll look impressive in front of all their mates if they can get me to go out with them."

"At least you'd actually have a date," Felicity said. "There's nothing worse than a girl turning up on her own. Come on, tell us the truth. Are you a lesbian?"

"No!" Victoire cried. "Not that there'd be anything wrong with me if I was… but just because I've turned down all these arseholes doesn't automatically mean I like girls, it just means I don't like pervy creeps who fancy trying it on with me, but don't even know my last name!"

"Just asking," Felicity said. "But you'll have to accept someone soon, otherwise that'll be what people will be thinking."

"Merlin forbid." Thankfully the girls turned away from her… to start picking on Jenny instead.

"So what about you?" Diana asked. "Have you got a date yet?" Jasmine sniggered.

Jenny blushed, and Victoire smiled smugly. She knew for a fact that Jenny did indeed have a date, the Hufflepuff fifth year prefect, Joseph White had finally plucked up the courage to ask her. Jenny simply replied, "that's my business."

"Meaning you don't," Felicity said. Jenny grinned. "It's ok, no one expects you to." Victoire rolled her eyes. Jenny looked a little hurt.

Luckily, the girls began a new discussion on their dress robes. They seemed to love discussing what they would be wearing.

Victoire was lucky. She had spent a day in Paris shopping with her mother, grandmother and sister, and they had both been treated to new dress robes.

Victoire was never normally a particularly girly girl. She had almost flawless skin, save the freckles, but she didn't really care about them. She rarely wore make-up, and when she did it only took a flick of mascara to make her eyes stand out even more, and occasionally a spot of lipgloss if she was going somewhere really nice. Her hair was long, and naturally very straight, and often she only had to brush it and she was ready to go in the mornings.

But even Victoire enjoyed dressing up in her dress robes. They were floaty and blue, much more like a dress than robes. They were more low cut than any of her other clothes, and came in at the waist in a way which flattered her slim figure. The light blue made her eyes stand out even more.

When she had tried them on in the shop she had been amazed at the transformation which she felt had overcome her. She felt grown up and elegant.

Her sister Dominique was outraged that she was too young to go, and wouldn't be able to wear her new dress robes. However, Molly was very excited, and as her year were perhaps a bit young to be dating yet, Molly was going with a group of friends, which Victoire couldn't help thinking was quite a good idea. She really didn't want to be stuck with one person the entire night.

However, she knew she had to try and get a date, otherwise people might start talking about her. One of the reasons she had held back was because she had secretly, deep down, in a part of her buried so deep she hardly dared acknowledge it, been hoping that Teddy might ask her. But every time that thought had flared but, she had suppressed it, determined that her current feelings were just a crush. But she had seen Teddy looking at her a lot recently, with a strange and alien expression in his eyes. Sometimes, in the common room she would feel his eyes on her, and look up to see him studying her intently.

However, after another week, in which three more boys had asked her, she let the hope inside of her die. Of course, she hadn't really expected it… but seeing as there was this insane pressure to get dates, and neither of them (as far ash she knew) had another romantic interest, why shouldn't they go as friends? Because Teddy didn't want to, clearly.

She began to feel more annoyed with him. He was just so bloody dense sometimes! Why hadn't he thought of it? It would stop those annoying girls from crowding him in the corridors, and get Felicity and anyone who was pressuring him to get a date off their backs. And, more importantly, why hadn't they had a proper conversation since the Quidditch match? She had thought that they had made up over that, but clearly things were a little awkward.

And so it happened that, with just over a week to go until the ball, Victoire was walking from the library, in a rather foul mood.

She had been having a bad day generally. The teachers had decided to give them a ton of homework and she had been having trouble in Charms, usually her best subject. To top it all off, she had just had another (whispered) conversation with Felicity and her other dorm mates in the library about how extremely important it was that she have a date for the ball. She was feeling particularly annoyed with Teddy, or at Teddy, having earlier that day watched him attempt to negotiate a groups of giggling girls under clumps of mistletoe, which grated on her nerves more than it entirely should have done. She was frustrated and tired, and had a bit of a headache.

And so, she got up from her table in the library, and left, with a vague plan of a long hot shower, then an early night. She was wondering vaguely if the Room of Requirement provided relaxing baths, when her thoughts were interrupted by a low whistle.

She stopped and turned around to see who had made the offending sound, and saw that it was Euan Selkirk, the Head Boy, leaning against the wall.

"All right Weasley?" he asked in what he obviously thought was a sexy and attractive tone.

Victoire rolled her eyes. "I'm fine thank you," she replied, and turned around to walk away.

"So, Weasley," he said, lazily. She turned around again. "The Christmas Ball. Got a date yet?"

"I can't see why that would be your business," she replied. Why couldn't he leave her alone?

Annoyingly he laughed, and began to walk towards her. "Well, you see, it is my business. As Head Boy, it is my job to look out for the well-being of my fellow students-"

"Well, I appreciate your concern."

Selkirk continued as though she hadn't spoken, "and I don't like to see a lovely girl like you on her own for such a hotly anticipated social event. How about it Victoire? Fancy going to the ball with me? I'd love to get to know you a little better."

Victoire looked at him. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to go with me?" she asked.

Selkirk seemed to consider this. "Well, you're without a doubt the most beautiful girl in the school. So that's one. And, from what I've gathered, you seem funny, intelligent, kind and you play Quidditch like a professional. So that's, what, five reasons why any guy would be lucky to date you? Take your pick."

Victoire couldn't help blushing a little.

"So, will you go to the ball with me? I won't take no for an answer. I really want to know you better."

Victoire thought about it. It was certainly saying something that that was the nicest offer she had received so far. If she said yes, at least she'd have a date.

_Teddy wouldn't like it,_ she thought. But what did that matter? It didn't look like Teddy was going to ask her any time soon. _Teddy Lupin doesn't own me_, she thought. And this would certainly annoy him.

Why shouldn't she go with Euan? He was the Head Boy for crying out loud? Sure he was a bit sleazy. But he was a Ravenclaw. There must be something behind the handsome face. She imagined the look on Felicity's face when she found out that she, Victoire Weasley, was going to the Christmas Ball with the Head Boy! She smiled at Euan.

"I suppose that doesn't give me much choice," she said.

He grinned confidently. "Is that a yes?"

"All right then. Eight o'clock, in the Entrance Hall." And with that, Victoire turned around and walked back down the corridor.

Of course, she regretted her decision a few days later.

The look on Teddy's face when she had to refuse him pierced her heart like a knife, smashed down the wall of pride and bitterness that she had built as an excuse for her choices. _But wasn't that what you wanted?_ She thought to herself. She couldn't bear to say anything else until they reached the common room. If only she had waited just a few more days! But then again, if he was upset, then he should have asked her sooner! She was a free agent, she could have accepted any one of the many boys to ask her out. But none of them would have irritated Teddy as much as the one she had chosen.

"Euan Selkirk," she said, and she hated what that one name did to his expression. It was a mixture of hurt, shock, anger, and something else. Something not quite tangible, something she couldn't quite name. She had nothing else to say, so she turned and continued through the portrait hole.

It was too late, she decided. She couldn't go back on her decision now. She would just have to deal with the consequences.

She thought about it late that night. She had been selfish. She had been ridiculously selfish and shallow and horrible and she hated herself.

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**So there you have it. I know some of you may be annoyed at Victoire's choice, but I wanted to show the negative effect certain girls have on her. I also wanted to show that sometimes people don't always make the right decisions, and that even if you're falling in love with someone (or denying that you're falling in love) you don't have to like them all the time. Everyone is flawed. Thanks to everyone who's supported me and this story by reading, reviewing, favouriting and following.  
**


	17. Chapter 16: The Christmas Ball

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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**Teddy  
**

Of all the guys she could have chosen, she had to pick the one person that Teddy hated the most.

And now he had another reason to hate him.

And having a personal grudge against the Head Boy is never a good idea. Especially when said Head Boy has one against you.

Teddy couldn't believe that this was happening to him. If he had just asked her sooner, maybe she would have said yes.

Despite the fast approaching ball and snow building up against the windows, the extravagant Christmas trees in the Great Hall and choirs of ghosts that roamed the corridors, Teddy was feeling anything but Christmassy. He felt grumpy and depressed. He wasn't looking forward to the ball at all. It was (somewhat randomly) on a Tuesday night, the students all returning home the very next day. Teddy was looking forward to seeing his family, his grandmother and the Potters. He missed them, and had some things that he wanted to discuss with Harry. He just wished that the stupid ball would be over already.

However, the day of the twenty-second of December dawned cold and unforgiving. Fresh snow had fallen overnight, covering the grey tracks made by classes making their way to Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. While almost every single female student from fourth year and above spent the day getting ready for the party, Teddy and the other seventh year boys engaged in a ferocious snowball fight in the grounds, aided and abetted by magic.

Teddy however kept getting distracted, the entire Weasley family, Victoire, Molly, Fred, Dominique, Roxie, Lucy and Louis were having their own snowball fight, along with a few of their friends. He wasn't surprised to see Victoire; she hardly took any time at all to get dressed up, but she kept distracting him and he received a few more snowballs to the face than he entirely should have done, because he wasn't keeping an eye on his friends.

He spotted her go in at about five o'clock along with Molly. At about half past six, the boys recognised the fact that they could no longer feel their hands, and made their way inside.

Teddy really didn't want to go, but the pressure from the boys made him.

"Come on," Andrew said. "We won't spend the entire time with our dates. You can still sit with us. We'll do like a group thing, that way no one will notice."

Teddy sighed and hunted down his dress robes. He pulled them on and tried to change his hair. However, his metamorphosing hadn't been working so well lately, and the best he could get was an inky blue, almost black. _Oh well_, he thought. _At least I won't stand out as much._

At five to eight the boys made their way back to the common room. Aidan showed his appreciation of Kelly's dress robes by attempting to unbutton them in front of the whole common room, and Andrew and Teddy almost laughed out loud at Ephraim's attempts to tell Sarah that she looked nice.

However, nothing could have prepared Teddy for the sight of the girl he had been thinking about more than anyone recently.

She always looked gorgeous, but this was… something else. This evening she was stunning, beautiful, elegant… perfect. She was standing with her friend Jenny, laughing, her beautiful blue eyes full of excitement. Her long blonde hair had been curled, with small parts plaited away from her face and held in place with tiny blue flowers. Her already striking features had been enhanced with the barest minimum of make-up, and her dress robes looked as though they had been made for her. They showed off her small waist and slim figure. He found it difficult to take his eyes off her.

He was not the only one.

Half the common room (the male half) seemed to watch her as she made her way out of the portrait hole.

"Shall we go?" Andrew asked. "I'm meeting Beth in the Entrance Hall."

Teddy nodded, all powers of speech temporarily robbed from him.

He passed Felicity and her band of girls on his way out. She scowled at him, slinging her arm around her newest boyfriend, and kissing him on the cheek. She looked nice enough, but her bright pink dress robes were just a little tacky. Nothing like Victoire's elegant and sophisticated outfit.

The Entrance Hall was abuzz with bright colours and chattering students. Teddy looked around, before spotting Victoire and Selkirk, the former looking slightly nervous, the latter looking as though he couldn't believe his luck.

Finally the doors opened and students surged through the door. The Great Hall had been transformed into some kind of great ice palace, the giant Christmas Trees towering above them. There were no House tables, instead two long silver tables ran the length o the room, one laden with butterbeer, pumpkin juice and (for the older students only) wine and oak-matured mead, and the other was currently empty, but Teddy guessed it would be filled with food. He hoped it would be soon, he was absolutely starving.

Round tables, each with about ten chairs around them filled the front of the hall, and just in front of the Teachers table was a stage, and in front of that (Teddy gulped) the dance floor.

Everyone was helping themselves to drinks and standing around, chatting excitedly. Teddy grabbed a butterbeer and stood with his friends.

"Anyone want to try something a little more… mature?" Ephraim asked, glancing around at the group, all of whom were holding butterbeers. From an inside pocket of his dress robes he produced a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky.

"Do I even want to _know_ how you got that?" Teddy asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Nope, just enjoy," he replied, handing round the bottle.

Teddy was going to refuse, but just then, he spotted Selkirk handing Victoire a drink, a particularly sleazy look on his face, which she didn't seem to have spotted.

_What the hell_, Teddy thought, taking a swig. It burned his throat, but in a good way. He shook his head slightly,

Andrew raised his eyebrows, refusing the bottle that Teddy offered him. "I think at least _one_ of us should remain sober."

"Well, that isn't going to be me," Ephraim laughed, taking another drink.

"Is there any point in telling you to be careful?" Andrew asked.

"Come on! It's Christmas! Live a little!" Ephraim sighed.

"Yeah," Teddy said. "Come on have some fun!"

Andrew glared at him. "Fine. You guys get wrecked. Just don't expect me to hold back on the retelling of whatever you do to humiliate yourselves."

At exactly half past eight, the long table filled with food. Those nearest began helping themselves to food., The variety matched that of the start of term feast. Groups began to sit down, and Teddy filled his own plate with steak and chips, and sat at an empty table, waiting for his friends to join them.

The mealtime conversation was fairly light and completely uninteresting. Teddy hadn't realised it, but from where he was sat he had an excellent view of where Victoire was sitting, and every time Selkirk touched her or spoke to her or even _looked_ at her (which, admittedly, was approximately every two seconds at least) Teddy felt a stab of irritation, and a strange new emotion that he was not used to feeling; jealousy. Every time that bitter emotion took a stab at him, he felt the impulse to take a swig of Firewhisky, which he indulged more than he should have done.

After everyone had finished eating, McGonagall stood and raised her wand. The tables moved out to the sides of the room, and everyone cheered as the school band, the _Hungarian Horntails_ took to the stage. By the end of the first song, almost everyone was dancing. Teddy lost sight of Victoire in the crowd, and by the end of the second song he had been left alone, even the most sympathetic of his friends having left to dance.

Teddy helped himself to a large glass of oak-matured mead, and watched the happy couples bitterly. He was beginning to get a bit of a headache, and wondered if he should call it a night. A small voice inside of him whispered that he should probably stop drinking, that his headache was probably due to his alcohol consumption. Just to spite the voice, he took an extra-large swig of mead.

It was definitely going to be a long night.

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**Teddy's getting jealous! Thanks again to all my lovely reviewers and readers!  
**


	18. Chapter 17: Disappointed

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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**Victoire  
**

It had been fun at first.

It had been fun getting ready with Jenny, getting dressed up in their dress robes, letting Jenny do her hair, and styling Jenny's in return. She loved how Jenny had curled it and plaited it, and Jenny herself had been pleased with Victoire's posh and elegant pin-up style. It had been fun watching Felicity and the other girls pile on the make-up, while she herself had been perfected by a flick of mascara and tinted lip balm.

It had been fun seeing the look on Felicity's face when Joseph came over to them and told Jenny she looked beautiful, when the three of them met in the entrance hall. They had all believed that Jenny hadn't got a date.

It had definitely been fun, if in a shallow way, watching the looks on people's faces (including, she thought with a fluttering heart, Teddy) when she stood in the common room with her friends. It had been fun feeling the stares as she walked towards the Head Boy, and he took her arm, acting like a perfect gentleman.

She had enjoyed the conversation at the table of Selkirk's Ravenclaw friends, but a part of her had wished that she could have shared this experience with her own friends. She watched their table wistfully. She wished that she could have watched Joseph and Jenny together more closely. From what she could see, they seemed really sweet together. However, she wasn't one to complain. The conversation had certainly been... intellectual, and definately interesting, even if she hadn't quite understood it all.

It was when it came to the dancing that things began to go wrong.

They danced together for a couple of songs, and it was still fun for a while. But then a slower song began, and Selkirk pulled her close to him and they swayed to the music, just like the other couple's around them. After the song, Selkirk led them off the dance floor to get them drinks.

He came back with two glasses of pumpkin juice, but before he handed her the glass, he pulled out a bottle of some clear liquid.

"Fancy making these a bit more sophisticated?" he asked, pouring some into one of the glasses.

"None for me thanks," Victoire said, reaching out for the untouched glass. "I don't really drink."

Selkirk raised his eyebrows. "Really? Never?"

"Well, no. I don't really like the feeling," she said. She stuck to butterbeer and the occasional small glass of wine with a meal, when her parents were with her. Victoire hated the idea of not being in complete control of herself, which she feared would happen if she drank without guidance.

"Come on," Selkirk said. "A little won't kill you. I thought you were more mature than that."

That comment stung a little, and she was determined to prove him wrong. One drink wouldn't hurt her, as long as it was just the one. "Fine," she said. "Just a little."

Selkirk grinned. "That's my girl," he said, pouring a little more than Victoire would have liked into the glass. Victoire sipped, and tried not to splutter. Whatever he had put in her pumpkin juice caused it to make her mouth and throat burn. She resolved to drink it slowly.

Selkirk, on the other hand, did no such thing. His was gone quickly, and he insisted on getting more. Victoire got a little bit worried, and tried to steer them away from the drinks table.

For a little while it worked, and they danced a little more, but Victoire was already feeling a little headachy. She stuck to pumpkin juice, although Selkirk still insisted on getting her drinks. Perhaps it had something to do with the alcohol she had already drunk, but none of them tasted quite right.

She was a lot more confused than she should have been when he led her out into the Entrance Hall after a slow song in which they had slowly revolved in each other's arms. The spinning had made her feel slightly sick, and she was grateful for the cool air of the entrance hall. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see."

She was feeling a little ill; clearly whatever he had put in her pumpkin juice earlier on in the evening had not agreed with her. She felt dizzy and light-headed, and a little slow.

"Why are we here?" she asked. Her judgement seemed strangely blurred, but she still had enough wits about her to harbour a sneaking suspicion.

"I think it's a little more… private," he said, before lifting her up and placing her on the desk. He was standing right in front of her, and the bent down and kissed her on the mouth. Victoire didn't really know how to respond. This was her first kiss, and maybe it was the alcohol, maybe the excitement of the night, but it was nothing like she'd expected. It was… disappointing.

His lips moved from her mouth, tracing along her cheekbone.

"You know, I've liked you a long time, Weasley," he whispered in her ear, slurring slightly. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, and pulled away slightly, trying hard not to wretch. She didn't know whether she should say anything, and settled for saying nothing.

Selkirk reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You're beautiful," he purred in her ear, pressing his lips to her face. Victoire still didn't understand. Most girls would kill to be in her position, and instead she felt awkward and wrong. Why wasn't this working?

He continued to kiss her face, her cheeks, her eyebrows, but instead of finding it romantic, she found it annoying. The smell of alcohol was beginning to get to her. She closed her eyes, hoping that it would make it seem better. His lips moved back to her mouth, and she tried to kiss him back, but she didn't really know how. His left hand was holding her face, his other was on her waist. Slowly it crept up. She shivered slightly, her skin crawling. She could taste the alcohol as his tongue slid into her mouth, almost making her gag. Why wasn't this working for her?

It wasn't until his right hand reached her chest that she decided things had gone far enough. She pulled away. "I think that's enough," she said.

It was as if she hadn't spoken. Selkirk pushed his mouth back to hers, and pushed her down so that she was lying on the desk with leaning on top of her.

She freed her mouth. "Stop it!" He didn't, and instead carried on feeling her up. She had to get him off her. She tried to push him off, but he was too heavy.

Suddenly, he shrieked like a girl, and leapt off her as though he had been burned. Victoire looked at her hand. It was glowing slightly. In spite of the slightly sticky situation she smiled.

Having a great-grandmother for a Veela came in handy now and again. A true Veela could throw fireballs at their enemies. Three generations down the line, Victoire couldn't manage fire, but she could make her hands glow hot, which was painful to anyone who crossed her.

"What the hell was that?" Selkirk asked angrily.

"I might ask you the same thing," Victoire replied, and it was a wonder that Selkirk didn't cower at the ice in her voice.

"I don't know, I was just on a date with a really hot girl and she decides to burn me!" he said angrily.

"I asked you to stop and you wouldn't!"

"Well, you seemed pretty up for it all."

Victoire laughed, although there was nothing funny about it. "Yeah, when it was just kissing! It's the first date! What made you think I wanted to go that far?"

Selkirk looked even angrier. "Oh, I don't know," he said, "maybe when you agree to go with me, dance with me all evening, let me take you to this little classroom, start snogging me? Excuse me if I'm missing something here."

"You certainly are missing something, apparently your _brain_, just because I'm on a date with you does _not_ mean I want to sleep with you! And for the record, _you_ kissed _me_!"

"Wow," Selkirk sighed. "I didn't realise you were such an uptight little cow. I thought the alcohol would loosen you up, but no!"

"I didn't realise you were such an O grade arsehole! And I only had one drink. I'm not that young that I get drunk after…" Something tugged at her mind. Selkirk was looking at her defiantly. She was more tipsy than she should have been after just one drink, she knew that much. And she had let Selkirk get her more…

"Did you spike my drinks?" It made sense. She shouldn't be feeling this drunk after one drink. His eyes betrayed the truth, still defiant.

Victoire's anger bubbled up inside her, and she let out a stream of curses in French, the language she preferred if she wanted to seriously abuse someone. Anyone who knew her knew that Victoire should not be allowed to get angry. Her Grandma Weasley's temper, combined with her Veela blood was a fearsome combination, and those people also knew that when she spoke in French, the situation was serious. "You little shit! I can't believe this!"

"Jeez Weasley, Only a couple of them. You seemed nervous, I thought it would help you!"  
"You need to get a girl drunk before she'll agree to sleep with you? Well, it just goes to show doesn't it? And I really thought you were different. I really thought that you wanted to know me."

Selkirk snorted. "If that's what you want you should cover yourself up more," he sneered, gesturing towards her chest. "You'd be hard pushed to find a guy in this school who can concentrate on what you're saying when those are on show."

Victoire was getting more and more angry. She could feel her face flushing. Her emotions were overtaking her. There was anger, red, hot, bubbling anger, but there was a fair load of embarrassment thrown in as well. "I can't believe I ever thought you were a nice guy. You're just a filthy sleaze. Don't you ever come near me again, or you will really regret it."

"Don't worry. I don't go for half-breed, mutant freaks."

Victoire slapped him with her still burning hand, and was almost satisfied by the grunt of pain that the impact caused, and the way that he stumbled and fell over. She pulled her wand out from her sleeve and held it in front of his nose. His eyes crossed, and she couldn't help think how stupid he looked.

"If you ever so much as _think_ about calling _anyone_ that ever again, I will make sure, and I have my ways, I will make sure that no one will ever want to come near you ever again. You got that you disgusting piece of crap?"

And, revelling at the red mark she had left on his cheek, she kicked him out of her way and stormed out of the classroom.

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**So yeah, bit dramatic. Hope you enjoyed!  
**


	19. Chapter 18: Regretful Behaviour

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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Teddy

The Ball ended at midnight, and for Teddy, it could not have ended too soon. He just wanted to get to bed and sleep off the alcohol he had consumed, which was considerably more than he should have done.

He had only glimpsed Victoire once more that evening, talking to her friend Jenny before leaving the Great Hall. She had looked a little rumpled, but, more worryingly, she looked quite upset, and her hands were doing that burning thing that they did when she was really angry. He hadn't seen Selkirk again.

When the end finally arrived, Teddy could not get out fast enough. He pelted up to his dormitory and went straight to bed. He couldn't sleep for hours, and by the sound of it, his friends had started up a party in the common room. He could hear the yells and whoops, and at about three in the morning, some rather out of tune singing.

Needless to say, Teddy woke up the next day feeling grumpy and irritable with a terrible headache. They boys packed their trunks in silence, each looking tired. Teddy didn't think he could stomach bacon and eggs, and stuck to coffee. It was a fairly subdued crowd that boarded the Hogwarts Express. Teddy's compartment itself was quiet, although full of smug smiles that implied that all had gone well the night before.

Teddy must have slept on the journey back, for one minute the train was pulling out of the snow-covered Hogsmeade station, the next they were surrounded by fields and the lunch trolley was moving up and down the corridors. Teddy didn't buy anything, still feeling hung over from the night before. He picked up a copy of the _Daily Prophet_, and scanned the pages, as always reading his godmother Ginny's Quidditch article.

The journey was really quite uneventful, and Teddy slept fitfully throughout, only really feeling awake when he saw the train pull in to the dark station. He pulled his trunk of the train, and wandered down the platform. Finally he found the figure he was looking for.

Although in her sixties, Andromeda Tonks was still slim and fairly tall. Her hair was definitely greying and her face was lined, but her brown eyes still sparkled with life. Teddy was overwhelmed by how pleased he was to see her. Although he had such a large family, full of Potters and Weasleys and old friends of Potters and Weasleys, his initial family was his Grandmother.

Only in recent years had he come to appreciate what an amazing job she had done, raising him from infancy, not without help of course, but that didn't demean the achievement in any way. She had been dealing with her own grief, but Teddy had never felt neglected or abandoned, she had lavished upon him all the love left in her broken heart. Teddy hugged her.

"It's good to see you," she said, hugging him back. "I swear, either you're getting taller, or I'm shrinking. Come on now, let's get home." They made their way out into the muggle world, and found a quiet street to hail the _Knight Bus_. After a bumpy and haphazard journey, which brought Teddy close to being sick, they reached the house which Teddy had called home for eighteen years.

Too lazy to carry it, he levitated his trunk up the stairs into his bedroom and looked around. A lot had happened since he had last seen it, and he was surprised that it hadn't changed. He felt that he had changed. He felt older, yet at the same time so much more immature. He regretted his decisions of the past few days, deeply regretted the way he had been behaving.

He couldn't help looking at the photograph on his bedside table. The entire Weasley-Potter family had been crowded into it. He looked at his own innocently smiling face as he hugged little Rose, and couldn't help smiling at Victoire, effortlessly beautiful as always, as she tried to persuade Lily to look at the camera. He loved the family so much. Just looking at the picture reminded him of how much he had to lose.

He loved everyone in that picture. He loved Fred and Dominique, chief troublemakers, and James their young apprentice, cheeky Louis, feisty Roxie and fun-loving Lucy, quiet and serious Molly, shy but kind Albus, clever Rose, and Lily and Hugo, always put out at being the youngest, the babies of the family. He didn't count Victoire in that little list, his love for her was so much more than the family bond he felt with everyone else.

He couldn't lose any of these people, these friends, these family. He knew that his Grandmother valued the friendship of Molly and Arthur, and he couldn't be selfish enough to take that away from her if something went so wrong between himself and Victoire that he felt he had to estrange himself from the family.

More than ever, he wanted to talk to Harry. If anyone had experienced what he was feeling, it was Harry.

He was quiet at dinner that evening. They were due at The Burrow tomorrow afternoon, Christmas Eve, to join in the festivities on Christmas Day. Usually he savoured the alone time with his Grandmother, but that night he felt distracted.

"Is something bothering you darling?" Andromeda asked as he wound spaghetti around his fork.

"No," Teddy replied, not looking up.

"You know, I've spent the last forty odd years bringing up Metamorphmagi. I can tell when you're lying to me Teddy."

"I'm fine," he snapped.

Andromeda looked a little hurt, but not particularly surprised. "Well, when you're ready to talk about it, you know where I am." She got up and put her empty plate in the sink and left the room. Teddy instantly regretted his outburst. He finished his meal in silence, then washed he dishes and put them away.

He walked into the living room, where Andromeda sat watching her knitting needles as they fashioned a red and gold striped sock.

"I'm sorry Grandma," he said, sitting on the floor next to her armchair. "I just… I don't know what to do."

Andromeda surveyed him, smiling indulgently. "So, who is she?"

"W-What?" Teddy stammered.

"The lucky girl? I know that look Teddy Lupin. I've seen it enough to know what it is."

Teddy smiled weakly. "I didn't realise I was so obvious," he said.

"Perhaps not to most. But to those who know you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know. I don't know if you'd understand. Sorry." Teddy squeezed her hand.

"Try me," she said, raising his chin so that he was looking directly at her.

"Well… have you ever liked someone… who you know you shouldn't? It's like taboo or something?"

Andromeda laughed. "Have I ever. I've told you how I had to lose everything to be with your grandfather?" Teddy nodded. "I had to fight so hard, defy my family, and lose everything. My share in the family fortunes, my place in our ridiculous society." Teddy watched her. Her eyes had a far off look, as though their owner was not in the real world, but riding through the distant forests of memory.

She shook herself slightly and looked back at him. "But none of that mattered. I didn't lose anything that I greatly lamented. Instead I gained so much more. Now, this is a different time, and I hope, I pray that the situation is nowhere near the same, that times have changed. But all that I've learned is that you have to decide if it's worth the risk. I felt that whatever happiness I could have would be worth anything I suffered later, and I had so much more happiness than so many others did. Do what I did, weigh up the benefits against the drawbacks if you need to, but most importantly, follow your heart. Because you come from a line of women who did just that."

Here she smiled. "Your mother was just the same. She loved your father for so long, even though people told her she shouldn't. But I've never seen her happier than she was with your father." A tear slid from her eye. "You know, there's not a day that goes by where I don't miss them. Your mother, your father. Your grandfather especially. I loved him so much," she whispered, her voice breaking. "But you know, I see him in you. I see all of them. There are some people who weren't even left with that. I'm so lucky that I have you, my Teddy." She stroked his hair, her eyes red with tears.

"Look at me, all sentimental. I must be getting old." She shuddered theatrically, and Teddy smiled. "I suppose what I was trying to say, before i got all wrapped up in the past, is to follow your heart, Teddy. It will lead you right in the end."

Teddy hugged Andromeda tightly. "Thanks Grandma," he whispered into her shoulder.

"That's all right love." She pulled back and wiped her eyes, smiling weakly. "Now, you'd better get rested for tomorrow. Merlin knows you won't get any sleep in that ridiculous tent. Have you got some potion to take with you?"

Teddy smiled. "I have. Night Grandma."

"Good night Teddy."

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**Ok, so I know a lot of you were expecting something to happen at the beginning. And yes, originally, I had planned for something to happen... but then it just didn't write itself. It didn't seem reallistic. So instead, this happened. I hope you're enjoying it, keep reading, in a couple of chapters... things start to happen!**

**Thanks again to everyone reading this story.  
**


	20. Chapter 19: Advice

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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Victoire

It had always been tradition in the Weasley family to spend Christmas at The Burrow. Victoire's family often spent New Year's in France with her mother's family, but no-one did Christmas quite like the Weasleys.

Because the family, including Teddy and Andromeda, comprised of fourteen adults and thirteen children, it was ridiculous to think that everyone would comfortably fit in the house. Instead, the children slept all together in a large tent pitched in the garden. Needless to say, they barely ever got any sleep, but none of them would have traded it for the world.

Victoire and her family arrived at three o'clock in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, ready to start the festivities. Her grandmother stroked her face and told her that she was getting more and more beautiful every day, her grandfather was shocked at how tall she was getting, and Uncle George, the only other family there yet, offered round a bag of sweets with an expression of complete innocence that fooled no-one. After fifteen years, Victoire knew to treat anything offered by Uncle George with extreme suspicion, and she was quite right to be wary; it turned out to be a new idea for a Skiving Snackbox; Chicken-pox Chews.

Her grandparents were only too happy to donate a charm to her bracelet; her grandfather gave her a weasel and her grandmother a cooking spoon. Uncle Charlie was the next to arrive, and he, quite fittingly, gave her a dragon. When Harry and Ginny arrived, Ginny gave her a falcon, for her favourite Quidditch team.

More and more family arrived, and every time the door creaked open, Victoire looked up, yet always felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment, when Ron and Hermione arrived, or Percy and Audrey, although hanging out with Molly kept her mind off… whatever she was waiting for.

Ron and Hermione each gave her a charm; Hermione gave her a book, and Ron gave her what looked like a chocolate frog. The bracelet was getting pretty full by this point.

Finally, Victoire was forced to acknowledge that she had been waiting for Teddy when he walked through the door. He was instantly attacked by Lily and Hugo, and just the sight of him laughing as they tried and failed to knock him over made her heart speed up. It was dark outside, but inside the house it was warm and cosy, lit up not only by the fire and the sparkling Christmas tree, but by the love that always pervaded the walls of that house.

Victoire looked around at the family. Her father, Charlie and Percy were deep in discussion about something, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were conversing quietly, Ginny and Angelina were chatting about Quidditch, her mother was chatting to Audrey, her grandfather to Andromeda, and her grandmother was in the kitchen, occasionally coming out, smiling at the family arranged in her living room, checking that nobody wanted for anything, then disappearing. Uncle George was entertaining Dom, Louis, Fred and James, and Victoire wondered briefly if that was entirely safe, Roxie and Lucy were giggling away in a corner, Teddy was playing a game of Wizard Chess with Albus, Rose was sat by the fire reading, and Lily and Hugo had both fallen asleep on the sofa.

Victoire herself was sat with Molly toasting bread and marshmallows and crumpets and pretty much anything else they could toast over the fire. Where she was sat provided her with an excellent view of Teddy. She watched him, no, studied him, as he played with Albus. She noticed the way his brow furrowed when he was thinking of his next move, the way his dark eyes twinkled with mischief, the slight flickering colour changes of his hair. She was so busy noticing these things that she failed to notice that she was burning her marshmallow.

"You all right Vic? That's like the third thing you've burnt." Molly observed.

"I'm fine," Victoire replied, spearing another marshmallow on her toasting fork.

After a short while, Victoire left to go to the bathroom. When she came back, she saw that her Aunt Ginny was sitting on the sofa by herself. This gave Victoire an idea; there had been something that she had wanted to talk to this particular aunt about. She looked tired, and her eyes were closed, but this was too good an opportunity to miss.

Ginny had always been her favourite aunt. Perhaps it was because she was her only blood-related aunt, or maybe it was just that she was a pretty cool person, who could get Victoire tickets (great tickets) to almost any Quidditch match she wanted. Victoire only felt the slightest bit of guilt over waking her up to ask some advice.

"Hey," Victoire said.

Ginny looked up. "Hi there. Don't tell my mother you caught me sleeping."

"Consider my lips sealed. Long day?"

"You've no idea. Listen when I tell you, it's no easy feat organising three children so that they're in a fit state to be brought to your mother's. They seem angelic now, but I warn you, those kids are monsters."

Victoire smiled. "I can imagine."

"And I have a report due on Tuesday. And Harry was away this week, so it's just been me. It's nice to be able to relax a bit," Ginny sighed.

Victoire paused for a second, watching her favourite aunt "And nice to have Harry back, no?"

Ginny grinned at her. "Of course. Everything's… better when he's back. I feel safer, and it's easier to cope with everything."

"Was it hard for you at first?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you first got together. Was it difficult? I mean, Harry was practically family. Was it hard, risking that?" Victoire had wanted to ask about that for a while. Her aunt's situation so closely mirrored her own.

Ginny smiled indulgently. "I suppose, in a way. Harry was afraid of saying anything, because I was his best mate's sister, and I was convinced that he only saw me as that. But I suppose… when we both realised… it felt… right. Like it was meant to happen."  
Victoire nodded thoughtfully. "But, did you ever consider what might happen if it went wrong?"

"Yes, countless times. At that time, we were pretty much the only family Harry had, and I really didn't want to take that away from him, for my own selfish happiness. But in the end we decided that any happiness we could have would be worth it, even if it didn't end well. Luckily, it did. But I won't lie, it wasn't easy. There were rough patches." Ginny looked perceptively at Victoire. "Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Victoire replied.

Victoire could have sworn that she saw Ginny look in Teddy's direction before saying, "just follow your heart. For all you know, he might feel the same way."

"I-what-who?" Victoire spluttered. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right," Ginny smiled. "Of course you don't. Just decide if you think it's worth it. Oh look, Lily's woken up." And with that, her aunt got up, leaving Victoire to her very confused thoughts.

She liked Teddy. A lot. More than she really should, she knew. But she couldn't just take him away from everyone. She couldn't risk his inclusion in the family.

But who's to say, argued a small voice in her head, that he'd end up being pushed out if things went wrong? It was a big family. Teddy could still be as close to the Potter's as he wanted and avoid her (although that thought filled her with sadness).

True, things had been awkward since he had tried to ask her to the Christmas ball. They hadn't actually spoken since. And that had only been as friends. Did that small incident show what might happen if they tried to take their friendship to a new level?

What should she do? She wasn't even entirely sure of her own feelings yet. She knew she liked him, but was it just the remains of her stupid crush? Or was it something much more than that? How could she expect him to understand her if she didn't even understand herself?

It was getting late when Mrs Weasley announced that it was time for bed. Everyone first made their way up to the rooms where their parents were sleeping, to get changed into their pyjamas.

Victoire came downstairs from her parent's room wearing a pair of comfy pyjama bottoms, patterned with snitches, and a vest top, with an her Weasley jumper slung over her arm. She felt someone's eyes on her, and turned to see Teddy looking at her appreciatively. He grinned when she saw him, and she smiled back, hope swelling inside of her. She could at least repair their friendship. If that was the only part of him she could have, then she would take it willingly.

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**So, I know a lot of you have been enjoying my regular updates (as I have enjoyed updating regularly). I'll try and post a new chapter tomorrow, but after that I'm going away on tour with my orchestra to italy, so I won't be updating for about a week. I also have my GCSE results on Thursday, which I'm quite nervous about! So yeah, after tomorrow, no updates for a while!  
**

**Thanks so much to the wonderful iheartweasleytwins, HogwartsDreamer113, meganooch, , narniaandharrypotter4ever, My Thunder, The Scratch Of Quills, xoxopotterheadxoxo, confusednikki24-7, deathlyhallowsalways, TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish, JustMeMarissa, mimzy69, owlcity2013, RJMSnape, GreenField, Calixte, Bookwormlovesharrypotter, .311, snowybare96, Teddy Lupin Forever, NifflerPajamas0519, Eeyore1999, Paralove, Hallows Searcher, JessandDarcy, and PJHPSGfan. I can't believe there are so many of you! I've read every single review you've sent me, and they mean so much to me! Thanks for being so supportive  
**

**Thanks to the 44 who followed and the 28 who favourited, and finally, thanks to everyone who's read this story, getting it to over 6,300 views! Thank you so so much!  
**

**Also, you can follow me on Twitter! My name is RoLouG.  
**


	21. Chapter 20: Things Have Changed

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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Teddy

The large group of kids made their way out to the tent in the garden. Although from the outside it looked as though it could hold no more than two or three people, inside was a much larger space, filled with cushions and blankets, comfortably fitting thirteen teenagers of varying age. They all found a space to sleep, but of course no one slept straight away, save the younger kids.

The older cousins sat in a circle, talking, the girls about crushes and gossip, the boys about Quidditch. Teddy didn't really pay much attention to it. He was more caught up in watching Victoire. He had had a conversation with Harry, which had put his thoughts into a whole new perspective.

"When you and Ginny got together," he had asked, "was it difficult going from being friends to being… more than that?"

Harry had considered this. "Well, yes, in some ways. She was my best friend's little sister, and I knew that I could never jeopardize my friendship with Ron. But when it actually happened… it felt right."

"But you were practically family! Did you ever worry about the risks?"

"Well, the risks weren't that great, I suppose. Well, the risk of death was definitely real. I didn't know if I'd survive what I had to do, and I couldn't put her in danger. We didn't know if we would live through the war. But we did and… we were lucky. We both felt the same way and we were lucky that we could be together. So the risk of losing my family wasn't that high." He looked knowingly at Teddy. "You know, no matter what happens, we will always be here for you," he said. "You are always a part of this family."

"Thanks," said Teddy.

"I'd tell her if I were you," Harry added, and walked away to speak to Ron before Teddy could protest.

So here he was, sat with his family, if only in spirit, thinking over this advice. Even when the last cousin had dropped off, Teddy was still awake, mulling it over.

_Was it worth the chance of losing his family in the distant future, if he got to be with Victoire, right here, right now?_

_ Yes._

_ But what if they broke up? What if things were so awkward that he felt pushed out, as though he could no longer attend family get-togethers because she would be there?_

_It might not end up that way. What if you stay together forever? Get married, have kids, the whole lot? _That thought filled him with happiness, like a bubble.

_But what if the worst happens, and you lose her friendship? _There was no denying it. That loss would hurt more than losing the rest of the Weasley family put together. She had been his best friend forever.

_But what if you get so much more than friendship? _

Teddy got up, as quietly as he could, trying not to disturb any of the sleeping Weasley's. The tent, although larger than average, was too small to contain his whirling thoughts. He pulled on his Weasley jumper and let the tent, the cold night air hitting him like a slap to the face. The fresh air cleared his head. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He leaned against the fence that looked out to the field behind the house. How long he stood there, he had no idea. The same thoughts whirled around his head, making him lose track of time.

He needed to tell her. He didn't think he could hold it in much longer. He just needed to tell her. He needed to know, either way. If she felt the same (Teddy's stomach swooped) that would be… amazing. If she didn't… well, wizards had withstood much worse.

He wished he had asked her to the Christmas ball. That way she wouldn't have gone with Selkirk. Why had she gone with him? And if he had only asked her sooner…

"Couldn't sleep?"

Teddy whirled around. Victoire was walking towards him, in last year's Weasley jumper and her snitch pyjamas, her perfect hair waving slightly in the sharp breeze.

"No," he replied. It was difficult to make out her expression in the darkness. Their only light came from the distant moon. Teddy looked up at it. Tomorrow it would be full, a perfect circle. And he would be subjected to the horrible headaches. He was eternally grateful that the Wolfsbane potion had become more readily available; it was the only thing that helped.

"Me neither," Victoire said, standing next to him, gazing out across the field, shivering from the cold. "Do you remember when we were little and we used to stay up all night talking?"

Teddy nodded, his throat constricting slightly. He missed those times. "Things have… changed," he said quietly.

"I know."

They were quiet for a little while. Then Teddy plucked up the courage to ask something which had been bothering him for two days.

"What happened at the ball? Between you and Selkirk?" The change this brought over her was instantaneous. She seemed suddenly more withdrawn, closed off, and turned away from him slightly. Teddy wished he hadn't asked her, but he couldn't take those words back now. He carried on, "it's just that you seemed upset."

"I'd rather not talk about it," Victoire said, in such a small voice that Teddy kicked himself.

Teddy was angry now. If that arsehole had hurt her… "I'm sorry. Forget it. I was just…"

"I was such an idiot," she whispered, still staring out across the field. "I thought that he… liked _me._ That he wanted to get to know _me._ But he was just like all the others. Just better at hiding it." Although she wasn't looking at him, Teddy saw the moonlight reflecting off the tear that was sliding down her cheek.

"What did he do to you?" Teddy whispered.

"He didn't hurt me. Not… physically anyway."

"Please tell me," Teddy begged. "I'll imagine the worst."

"The truth isn't much better," she replied.

Teddy listened in anger as she told him what had happened. How he had taken her to an abandoned classroom, tried it on with her. In Teddy's opinion, she was lucky to have escaped.

"I should have realised what he was up to," Victoire continued. "But… I wasn't… in full control of my senses."

"What do you mean?" Teddy asked.

"Well, he… I'd only had one drink. He put something in my pumpkin juice. It wasn't his fault because I agreed, but he did sort of… blackmail me into it. But after that I didn't have any more. Or at least I thought I didn't."

"Are you saying…"

Victoire nodded, another tear leaking from her eye. "I was stupid enough to let him get me more drinks, and I only had pumpkin juice but he… he put alcohol in them anyway."

"He did what?" It took a lot of self control for Teddy to not shout that. That little piece of hippogriff dung.

"It was my fault really. I should have got my own drinks. I was stupid."

"Seriously Vic, this is nowhere near your fault. When I get my hands on that arsehole-"

"Please don't do anything?" Victoire begged. "You'll just make things worse. Just let it go, please."

"The guys spiked your drinks Vic, and you want to defend him? Really?" Teddy put his hand on her shoulder. "Listen to me. This was not your fault. Don't you think for a second that it is."

"But I suppose I did make it seem like I wanted to… you know. But I didn't, I really didn't. It was the alcohol, I wasn't thinking straight, oh no he's going to tell everyone and they'll all think…" She was really upset now. Teddy didn't know what to do, so he did the only thing that felt right. He pulled her close to him, one hand in her soft, smooth hair, one on her back, and let her cry into his shoulder.

"It's okay," he whispered into her flowery hair. He breathed in the scent softly, and felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the icy night air. She mumbled something into his chest, but he didn't quite catch it. Instead he held her closer, stroking her hair, whispering soothing words until her tears had subsided.

She pulled away slightly, and looked up at him, her tears glittering on her face. "Thanks Teddy," she whispered. "I know this seems silly… but now that I've let it all out…"

She was too close to him, her blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Their breath misted up in front of them, mingling together. Teddy couldn't help himself. He leaned closer to her. She closed her eyes, and Teddy closed the gap between then. Their lips met.

In that moment, the second in which their lips touched, Teddy felt as though fireworks were exploding inside of him. He couldn't think, couldn't comprehend anything other than the two of them. This feeling was amazing, fantastic… he would have said magical, but no spell that he knew could create such a perfect happiness as this. He felt her arms entwine themselves around his neck as she pulled herself closer to him, deepening the kiss.

How long they stood that way, Teddy didn't know. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, and he wouldn't have noticed.

However, Victoire ended the kiss, by pulling away suddenly, breaking the spell. Her hand flew to her mouth and she backed away, stumbling over a dip in the grass. "I-I-I'm sorry," she stammered, turning around and almost running to the tent.

"No, wait, Vic," Teddy protested, but she was already at the tent opening. She turned around before entering, and the look she gave him almost broke his heart.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, before ducking into the entrance.

Teddy sighed. His feet were frozen, but he didn't care. What had he just done? She had wanted a friend, and he had crossed the line. She had just opened up about her first romantic encounter, and the ordeal that had been for her, and instead of listening and being there for her, he had completely betrayed her.

But those swirling thoughts slipped away at the thought of the kiss, the feel of her warm body in contrast to the ice-cold air, the feel of her lips pressing against his, kissing him back, he was sure of it.

He would talk to her in the morning. He was tired, cold, and emotionally exhausted. He was about to make his way into the tent, when the image of both himself and Victoire, lying wide awake, knowing the other was also awake, without speaking, made him head for The Burrow.

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**So, I've updated. Sorry to leave it hanging there! I'll be back in about a week or so.  
**

**Good luck to anyone collecting GCSE results tomorrow. Hope you all enjoy your last week of August.  
**

**Lots of Love  
**

**RoLouG  
**


	22. Chapter 21: Christmas Day

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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**Vicotoire  
**

Victoire hardly slept that night. What little sleep she did have was filled with strange dreams, in which Selkirk chased her with a garland of mistletoe, then was savagely attacked by a wolf wearing slippers. She didn't hear Teddy come back in.

She couldn't believe that she had kissed him! Well, he had started it, but she hadn't exactly pushed him off. At first anyway. She had no idea why she had responded the way she had. All she knew was that her instincts had taken over and she was kissing him back before she could control herself. It had felt so different to when she had kissed Selkirk. That had been disappointing. She had thought perhaps this was what kissing was like, and she had overestimated it. She had had nothing to compare it to then. But kissing Teddy… that had been… the opposite of disappointing. It was everything she had thought it would be, but more. So, so much more.

And yet she had pulled away. She didn't know why, but she had. Perhaps it was her previous kissing experience coming back to haunt her. Perhaps she had just fully comprehended that it was Teddy Lupin, her best friend, that she was kissing. She had been thinking about him so much, even asked advice about him from her aunt. She was going to be confused and distracted.

Or perhaps she was scared.

Scared of the explosion of emotions that had surged up inside of her at the moment their lips had touched. Scared that by continuing to kiss him, she would have to acknowledge her own feelings, and that thought was terrifying. Having to properly name her feelings, to realise that she no longer saw Teddy as just a friend, would be far too much to cope with.

But she couldn't forget that kiss. The memory of it lingered throughout the day.

The present opening was quite a spectacle. Family tradition had changed over the years. Instead of opening the presents as soon as they woke up, the entire family would assemble in the living room, sat in a circle, taking it in turns to open their presents. Needless to say, with that with twenty-seven people, this took up a lot of the morning. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Victoire found herself seated next to Teddy for the spectacle. The kiss hung between them, though in the festivities, they hoped that no-one noticed the awkwardness.

Victoire had done well from her assorted family. Her parents (namely her mother) gave her some French books (here Victoire rolled her eyes; her mother had raised them to be fluent in French, and despaired at how little Victoire spoke it. Victoire liked to save it for… special occasions). Uncle Charlie gave her a necklace, which comprised of a strip of leather with a dragon tooth at the end, and Percy and Audrey gave her more books. From George and Angelina came an enormous box of the latest _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_ products, from Ron and Hermione, a large box of Honeydukes chocolates, and from Ginny and Harry, a book all about her Quidditch team, the Falmouth Falcons, which, to her delight had been signed by the members of the team, and from her grandparents was the usual Weasley jumper, this one sky blue with a snitch on the front.

She was left with Teddy's present, her heart speeding up. She had been interested to see what he had got her. She opened the flat package and pulled out a framed photograph. It wasn't one she had seen before, although she instantly knew when it had been taken. It was from the dinner at The Burrow the night before term had begun. Andromeda had quickly snapped it. Victoire was wearing her favourite dress, white with blue flowers, and a full skirt, in a style similar to muggle photos from the 1950's. In the photograph, she and Teddy laughed at the camera, and turned to look at each other.

She stared at it for ages. It was only a few short months ago, yet so much had changed. They looked so happy together, and now everything was different. She was terrified that, because of the events of the night before, their friendship, which she felt was summed up perfectly by this picture, had been destroyed forever.

"Are you all right Vic?" Molly asked from next to her.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine," she muttered, hiding the picture from view. She didn't know why, but it felt strangely private.

Christmas dinner was fabulous. The entire family squeezed at one table was borderline ridiculous, so all of the kids except for Teddy, Victoire and Molly sat at a separate table next to the adults. The sofas in the sitting room were moved to make way for the two tables. Molly Senior worked her usual cooking magic, and the food was as delicious as always. Victoire tucked in heartily to delicious turkey and roast potatoes.

She listened rather than joined in with the conversation. To her left, Teddy was talking to Harry about his work experience week in the Auror department, and Percy was having an enthusiastic discussion with Charlie about a recent case of illegally imported dragons. Hermione and Ginny were chatting away to each other, keeping an eye on the younger children. On her right, her parents were chatting to Audrey, and Ron was discussing business with George. Grandpa and Andromeda were talking about something she couldn't quite hear, and Grandma was surveying the two tables with the smug expression of a job well done.

Crackers were pulled; Victoire pulled one with Molly, who was opposite her, and gained a ridiculously tall black top hat, a pack of balloons that would never burst, and a tiny emerald-green bird, which flitted around her head before flying out of the window.

After lunch, Victoire was feeling pleasantly full and content. She sat playing Wizard Chess with Molly, then consented to play a rowdy game of Hide and Seek with all of the cousins.

She was hiding in the scullery, when the door opened. Expecting it to be Dominique, she got up. But the head which glanced around the door wasn't the reddish-blonde head of her sister, but the bright blue head of the boy she had been thinking about all day.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," Victoire choked out.

"Mind if I come in? It's a bit noisy out there."

"Sure."

He closed the door behind him and sat down on the floor. An awkward silence fell. "So…"

"Yeah."

"Look, about last night," Teddy began, his hair flushing red, "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have… done that."

Victoire felt a little hurt. Did he regret kissing her? Surely not as much as she regretted pulling away? "It's ok… I… I didn't mind."

Teddy looked surprised. "Really? That's… good."

Victoire smiled, and sat back down on the floor next to him, leaning against the wall.

"Teddy, I-" she began.

At the same time, he said, "Vic," then as they both stopped, he smiled. "You first."

"Ok. Right." That smile had distracted her, and she lost her train of thought for a second. "I'd better just say this. I used to have a crush on you Teddy." She blushed fiercely as she released what had been her most closely guarded secret. She hardly dared look at him, knowing she would lose the confidence to say the things she knew she had to.

"I used to have a crush on you, ages ago. But I grew out of that. Because I didn't think, even for a second that you would ever like me back, and I'd be so embarrassed if you found out. But as I said, this was years ago. But now… recently I've been having these… feelings, which I don't really understand. And then, last night…" She paused for a moment. "But, you see now that we're older, I've realised that there's so much more at stake. You're a part of this family, and I could never, _ever_ jeopardize that for my own, selfish reasons."

"What if I don't care?" Teddy asked. Victoire closed her eyes.

"_I_ care. I'm not going to be the reason you feel pushed out. You need us Teddy, and don't you dare deny it, because I know it's true. You need us and we need you."

She looked at him to see the effect these words had on him. He was staring at the opposite wall. She was so close to him she could see the stubble on his chin, currently an inky purple that matched his hair.

"Look," Victoire continued, "I love you, Teddy. I love you as a friend, and a brother, and I always have. And there may be more, but if there is, I don't want to rush into finding it. I'm worried that if something happens between us, and doesn't work out… I just can't lose my best friend Teddy. Forget the rest of the family. _I _need you. You know more about me than anyone else, and I just don't want to lose you. And I'm scared that it's already happening."

"So what do you want to do?"

Victoire paused. "Maybe... it's better if we just stay friends... for now at least. If something happens, and I'm not say ing it won't, then... then that's waht should happen. I'm just... too confused at the moment to deal with anything more than friendship right now."

Teddy paused a moment, before saying, "Victoire, you haven't been just a friend to me for a while."

It was precisely at that interesting moment when Dominique opened the door, to see the two teenagers sat next to each other on the floor, Teddy's hair a blushing tomato red, Victoire's face an expression of surprise and confusion.

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**Happy September! I hope none of you missed the Hogwarts Express!**

**So, I'm back from my lovely tour. Unfortunately, school starts back up in about 5 days, so I won't be able to post as regularly. But until that sad, sad day, I'll be back to usual!  
**

**Thanks to everyone who wished me luck with my exam results, I was really pleased :D  
**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for all the reviews and comments!  
**


	23. Chapter 22: A Whispered Conversation

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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Teddy

"Whoops," Dominique said, giggling frivolously. "Did I interrupt something?"

Teddy glanced at Victoire. She shook her head ever so slightly. "No, you didn't," she said, getting up. She left the scullery, but as she reached the door, she turned around. "Merry Christmas Teddy," she said.

"Merry Christmas," Teddy replied.

He couldn't believe it. They had just had a long conversation about their feelings towards each other and he hadn't said any of the things he had wanted to. He hadn't told her that he couldn't stop thinking about her. He hadn't told her that he wanted to be with her, all the time. He hadn't told her that he didn't care about the long-term consequences.

He hadn't told her he loved her.

But at least they had started to talk about it. And she hadn't given him a direct no, which was encouraging. He didn't want to rush into anything either. But at the same time he wanted to be with her.

It had been, for the most part, a wonderful Christmas day. Even the headache that throbbed at his temples couldn't distract from the many joys of Christmas at The Burrow. By evening, the younger cousins were tired out and the whole family sat in the sitting room.

Charlie had brought out the guitar that he had learned to play over the last few years, and sat in the corner, strumming and humming a mixture of Wizard and muggle songs and Christmas carols. Teddy watched that corner particularly, because Victoire soon joined it, gravitating naturally towards the music. He listened as she added her soft harmonies to the songs, and closed his eyes, shivers running down his spine. She had such a beautiful voice.

As the moon rose higher in the sky, Teddy's headache got steadily worse. He knew he should extract himself from company, find a quiet spot and try and get some sleep, but he didn't want to miss out on the fun.

It was fairly late when they all went to bed. However, the older cousins insisted on staying up later, and Dominique started up a game of Truth or Dare.

"Right. Hmmm, who shall I pick on first?" Dominique wondered aloud. "Victoire," she said. "Truth or Dare?"

Victoire rolled her eyes, and Teddy had to suppress a laugh at her expression. "Truth," she said.

"What is the last lie you told?" Dominique asked.

Victoire seemed to ponder this for a moment. "I pretended at dinner that I'd already eaten my sprouts, when I didn't actually have any," she said.

_Wrong,_ Teddy thought. The last lie was telling Dominique that she wasn't interrupting anything earlier in the scullery. Unless she honestly felt that it hadn't been anything...

There were mock gasps from around the circle, and Victoire grinned. "Do I get to ask now?"

"Sure," Dominique replied.

"Ok, Molly."

"Truth."

The game continued, and involved James running around the tent naked, Lucy revealing that she had genuinely believed in Nargles until last year, Rose having to hold a spider for thirty seconds and Roxie admitting that her greatest fear was mice.

It was Dominique's turn, after having been forced to reveal the name of her first teddy bear, Mr Pookie Snuffles, (question courtesy of her brother Louis), and her gaze fell upon Teddy.

"Truth or Dare?"

What the heck. "Dare."

Dominique's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I dare you," she said, her gaze scanning the circle, "to kiss Victoire."

Victoire's head snapped up, as Fred whooped suggestively, and Lucy and Roxie started giggling. Victoire glared at her sister. Teddy's mind was whirling. What should he do? He couldn't lose face. But would they laugh at him if he did? Victoire was blushing, and he knew his hair must be bright red.

Would she want him to kiss her? She had pulled away last night, after all.

"That's a bit childish, isn't it Dom?" Molly commented.

"It's too late, he has to do it now. Come on, Teddy? Or are you chicken?" Dominique grinned. "It's only Victoire. She doesn't bite, although I'm not guaranteeing you won't catch something. Oof!" Victoire had thrown her pillow at her sister's face.

"Go on Teddy," Fred joked.

"Don't be a chicken!" Dominique laughed, and she and Fred proceeded to walk in circles, clucking like freaks and batting their arms like wings, much to the hilarity of the younger children.

"Fine," Teddy said. He crawled towards Victoire, who was still blushing fiercely. She looked up, her eyes slightly alarmed. He grinned and winked at her, before kissing her quickly on the cheek, trying not to notice how soft it was, or smell her flowery scent.

"Come on Teddy! That's cheating! On the lips!"

"That was never specified," he said, glancing at Victoire. She looked slightly relieved, and Teddy didn't know whether to be slightly offended or not. Did that mean she hadn't liked kissing him?

Dominique blew a raspberry at him, and he laughed. "So, it's my turn now?" he said. The game continued, and Teddy didn't pick dare again. Neither, he noticed, did Victoire.

Soon the game wound down and everyone fell asleep. Teddy lay down, trying to sleep, his eyes closed, but he just couldn't. His headache had peaked, and it prevented him from sleeping. Several hours later, he lay on his back, watching the shadows of tree branches moving in the wind against the canvas.

"Victoire?" That voice was not his own. It could be difficult to tell, but he thought it was Molly.

"She's sleeping." He grinned to himself.

"I can't sleep."

He heard the sounds of someone rolling over. "Me neither," came the whispered reply.

"What's happening with you and Teddy?" asked Molly. Teddy felt his skin prickle with excitement. He listened closely.

There was a brief silence. "I don't know."

"You barely spoke to each other all day." Victoire remained silent. "And Dom said she found you in the scullery together."

"We were just talking," whispered Victoire, sounding annoyed.

"And when she dared him to kiss you, you both went bright red," Molly continued. "Has something happened?" Victoire stayed silent. "It has, hasn't it?"

Victoire's "yes" was so quiet it was barely audible.

"I _knew_ it!" Molly said, sounding gleeful.

"Keep your voice down," Victoire hissed. "I don't want Dom to know about this. And he's right over there."

"They're sleeping, they can't hear us. I knew it! I always thought something would happen with you two!"

"For goodness sake, can't a boy and girl be best friends without rumours spreading?"

"They can. But you and Teddy have always seemed like more." _Have we?_ Teddy wondered. It had only really been this past year that he had realised his feelings were changing. Had it always been that obvious?

"Shhh! Don't go jumping to conclusions. I don't really know what's happening."

"But you said-"

"I know. The thing is, I don't know what I want to happen, or how I feel about it."

"What did happen? You said something happened, so something must have happened."

"Brilliant logic."

"Spill Vic."

"We kissed."

"Oh my Godric!" He heard someone sit up. "When?"

"Last night."

"Really? I thought it would have happened ages ago. Just last night?"

"Yes."

"What was it like?" Molly asked. Teddy, who had been wanting to know the answer to that himself, strained to hear. Victoire was quiet for a long time.

"I don't know." Teddy's heart sank. "I don't really have much to compare it to."

"But how did it feel? How did you feel?"

"It felt… amazing," Victoire whispered quietly. "It was so amazing. But… I pulled away."

"Why?" Teddy strained even more to hear the reply.

"I was… scared," she whispered. "I don't know what it means, and I'm scared of what I feel. I'm scared _to_ feel."

"Do you love him?" Molly asked.

"I don't know. The situation… it's complicated. But when we were kissing… I pulled away, because it felt new and strange and terrifying but it also felt… _right_. Like it was supposed to end up this way."

"Oh my Godric you do love him," Molly whispered.

"I don't know. Aren't we a bit young to know?"

"I suppose…"

Victoire was quiet for a moment. "I'm scared. I've seen what love can do. It destroys as much as it creates. I'm scared that if I do, everything will go wrong, and everything turn bad and horrible, and I'll lose my best friend. And besides, I don't believe in fate or destiny or any of that. I know too much about the past to believe in that."

"That's a fair point. But maybe it isn't destiny. Maybe it feels right because it is right, and because you love each other."

"But what if it isn't? That still leaves me with the issue of losing my best friend if I don't tread carefully."

"I don't think there's much to worry about Vic. I've seen him look at you. He's mad about you."

"Ha, that's unlikely."

"Trust me Vic."

The conversation trailed off, and soon the whispers were replaced by steady breathing, and delicate snores. The silence left Teddy a lot to think about.

So that was why she had pulled away. She had been scared of what she was feeling, scared because it had felt right. Teddy found it strange; he had felt that too, but instead of making him pull away, he wanted the exact opposite.

He knew that if something was to happen, they could risk their entire friendship. But in his opinion, that wasn't too big a risk. He knew how he felt about Victoire, and those feelings had only become stronger. He knew that he was in love with her, maybe had been his whole life, and just been waiting to figure it out. The main question was, did she love him? Molly seemed to think so, and there had been that feeling when they kissed, that feeling that this was right.

He agreed with Victoire, he didn't believe in destiny. But there had been that feeling that it was meant to happen, that feeling that this was... right... and Victoire had felt it too...

But that didn't mean she loved him back. She was scared of her own emotions, and what might happen to their friendship. But she had also said herself that there might be more than just friendship in the way they felt about one another.

He didn't know how long he could wait for. He hoped she would figure out what was going on, and let him know soon. He couldn't bear not knowing. Even if she decided that she didn't love him…

It was with that unsettling thought that Teddy finally fell asleep.

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**Thanks to my lovely reviewers and readers for supporting me with your kind words!**


	24. Chapter 23: New Year's Eve

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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Victoire

Victoire had never realised how calming the beach at Shell Cottage could be. Even in the middle of winter, when the water was ice cold, and a bitter wind howled across the beach, it could be such a calming place to just sit and think.

Victoire was sat on the sand, the wind biting her cheeks to a rosy pink and lifting strands of hair about her face. She was avoiding her mother, who was on her usual pre-visiting-the-grandparents rampage of ensuring that her daughters had packed the appropriate clothing and that the house was tidy. Victoire found it best to let her take control, and to stay out of the way until her mother's organizing spree had subsided.

Instead she came here, to the patch of the beach that had always been hers… and Teddy's. And since she was here, in the place where so many of their childish games and adolescent ramblings had taken place, it seemed natural to think of him. It seemed that was all that she did these days.

Her conversation had helped clear the air in her head from a thick fog to a light mist. She tried to think objectively about it.

_What exactly am I scared of?_

_I'm scared of losing my best friend. I'm scared of the feelings that I'm having. I'm scared of what love will do to me._

She decided to address the issues one at a time. First, the issue of losing Teddy as a friend. _Would it be worth it if I can get something much better than a friend from it?_

_ Yes. _

Victoire didn't trust her own feelings. She explored her own thoughts, anxiously probing into her mind for the answers.

_Even if we split up?_

_ Is that likely?_

Victoire thought about it. She didn't understand these feelings, didn't want to rush to label them as love. After all, wasn't she too young to know? All she knew was that she cared a lot about him, of course she did! They'd been friends forever! It was natural to care about him? _But is it natural to care as much as you do?_

Probably not, was the answer to this. It wasn't natural for your heart to speed up whenever you thought about a friend, it wasn't natural to despise any girl who even looked at him, wasn't natural to eagerly anticipate every conversation or even every situation in which they may be together, which Victoire had found herself doing more and more as the Christmas holidays progressed. Was that love, the combination of those feelings?

She found herself thinking about their kiss over and over, imagining what might have happened if she hadn't pulled away. She found herself dissecting the conversation they had had in the scullery, conscious of her every mistake or awkward sentence. She had told him that she might have feelings for him, but didn't know yet. How embarrassing! She found herself replaying the swift kiss on the cheek in the tent, the feel of his lips on her cheek, which hadn't stopped tingling until much later that night, the contrasting emotions of relief and disappointment that she had felt; relief that he hadn't kissed her in front of everyone, giving her cousins something to mock her about, and disappointment because a part of her, a small part which was growing stronger every day, had wanted him to.

_So, _Victoire thought to herself, _I've established the fact that I care for him more than a friend, or even a sister, should. Does that necessarily mean it's love?_

The emotions she was feeling at the moment were far more powerful than she would have liked. She felt overwhelmed by them, and the lack of control scared her.

_Stop it. You are perfectly in control. You just don't want to admit what you're feeling._

_That may be true. But what if I'm wrong, and it all ends up a big embarrassing mess?_

_ But what if it ends in happiness for the rest of your life?_

Victoire was interrupted from her discussion with her own head by a most unwelcome voice.

"Vic? Mum's going spare, she says you've packed entirely wrong, and she needs you right now!" Dominique's voice shattered the cold calm of the beach.

"All right," Victoire called back, surprised that she could manage more than a faint whisper. She hadn't noticed how cold she was until she tried to stand, her limbs numb with cold. She shook herself slightly, and made her way up to the cottage.

She entered the kitchen and was instantly enveloped by the warm air, which smelled of freshly risen bread and frying onions.

"Where've you been love?" her father asked from the stove.

"Just… walking." Victoire sat down near the fire, warming her ice-cold hands.

"Well, I'm glad you're back. It's beginning to get dark. Besides you mother's going frantic."

"What's new?"

Her father tutted at her. "Don't be like that. She gets stressed visiting your grandparents."

"I can't see why."

Her father glanced at the door. "Me neither. But she'll be fine once we get there. Just humour her."

Victoire sighed, got up, and made her way upstairs, where she found the contents of her drawers were spread everywhere.

"Ah, Victoire, you haven't packed anything to wear for the party." Her mother spoke rapidly in French.

Victoire sighed. The damn New Year's party. Normally she enjoyed it, but now, she really wasn't in the mood for it. Endless schmoozing and talking (in French) to people she didn't know, answering the same questions, yes she _was_ growing up fast, yes she _did_ look more like her mother than ever, and boring questions about careers and school subjects.

"I was going to wear my skirt and blue blouse," Victoire replied in French. It would save a pointless argument.

"No no no! That's definitely not appropriate! You should wear your black dress, the one I bought for you when we were in London!"

"_Maman_, I told you when you bought it, I can't wear something that tight, not comfortably!"

"But my darling, this year it's more than just a party. Your _Mamie_ is inviting all her friends, and all _my_ old friends. They are bringing their sons. This is our chance to show you off properly!"

"What do you mean, 'show me off'? I'm not a horse or something!"

"Victoire, you will do as I say." Her mother's voice became softer. "I only want what's best for you, sweetheart. And besides," she said, pinching Victoire's cheek gently, "when else do I get to show off to all my friends that I have such a beautiful, intelligent, amazing daughter?"

Victoire sighed. Her mother opened her arms, and Victoire accepted the hug. "If it means that much to you, I'll wear it," she said. "But I warn you, you'll be solely responsible if I get attacked by some perverted, hormonal sixteen-year-old who can't keep his hands to himself."

"That's my girl. Now, I had best go check on your brother. He won't have thought to bring a change of underwear." Victoire laughed, but the smile soon slid from her face as she rummaged in her wardrobe, eventually extracting the hated black dress.

She couldn't deny that it looked good. But then, looking good had never been a problem for Victoire, and in her opinion, she would look just as nice in her nice, non-revealing blue blouse and comfortable, reasonable length skirt. The dress she held before her was short and tight, the skirt pencil-slim and restrictive, the neckline low cut and heart shaped, with halter-necked straps. The waist was tight, and the chest area accented by the subtle runching of the fabric. It was definitely not the kind of dress Victoire would have chosen to wear. But, nevertheless, she packed it. It might be nice to dress up, she told herself.

The next day, when she spun out of the fireplace into the large and beautiful French mansion, she was greeted by the warm embrace and kisses of her maternal grandparents. She was given time to settle her things into the room which she would be sharing with her sister, before they were treated to a delicious lunch spread. After that there was little to do, for the New Year's Eve party wasn't until the next day. Victoire liked to sit beside the fire and read, but after a few hours she began to drift towards the beautiful grand piano in the large, grand room which was to be used for the party tomorrow.

Victoire had learned to play when she was younger, but the lessons had stopped when she had begun her education at Hogwarts. She didn't have much chance to play at Hogwarts, and besides, she preferred Quidditch. However, she enjoyed playing and singing for herself, especially on the beautiful instrument before her. She gently touched the smooth, polished ivory keys, and began to play a song, ignoring the mistakes, of which there were many.

That evening, she lay in bed, thinking over the situation with Teddy. She understood her feelings better now. She felt that something would happen, and soon, and that she should allow things to take their natural course. How would she feel if something did happen? She knew that she would like it. A lot. But she didn't want to rush into anything.

* * *

Victoire examined herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe that she would be forced to wear this dress for the entire evening. The skirt was so short and tight she could only just walk in it, and she felt horribly on display.

"Oh my Godric, Vic, you look about twenty!" Her sister had entered the room, wearing a green silk dress, with a sensible neckline and a decent length skirt. Victoire ground her teeth. Her sister looked very pretty, wearing a sensible dress. Why couldn't she do the same? The green looked lovely against the soft strawberry blonde of her sister's hair; Dominique had inherited more of the Weasley colouring than Victoire had. "Or you would if you put some make-up on!" Dominique continued.

"Er… I'm fine thanks…. I'll stay like this."

"Victoire. Listen to me. You need some make-up. Your face needs to stand up to the boldness of your dress. Let me do it! Oh please Vic, please?"

Victoire narrowed her eyes. "What's your motive?"

"Motive?" Dominique asked with a slightly too exaggerated show of innocence. "Does a girl need… Oh whatever. Mum told me to. She said she'd give me five galleons! Then I can get that great pair of shoes we saw in Diagon Alley! Please, Vic?"

Victoire looked into the begging eyes of her sister. "Fine!" she said, giving in to Dominique, as she had known she probably would. "Fine! Just don't go overboard, ok?"

"Yay! Oh, this is going to be such fun! Let me do your hair too?"

"I was going to just leave it… as it is…"

"Victoire!"

"Fine. Hair too."

After twenty minutes of "experiments", Dominique had finally finished. Victoire's hair was swept up into a messy bun with several long strands to frame her face, and little diamante hair-slides. Her features had been exaggerated with make-up, a lot more than Victoire usually wore. Her eyes were lined with black kohl pencil and exaggerated by smoky silver eyeshadow. Her flawless skin had been left alone, but her mouth had been painted crimson.

Victoire looked in shock at herself. Although Dominique had done an almost expert job, she couldn't help thinking that it was far too much. It felt like stage make-up, overly exaggerated, far too bold. But perhaps it was just that she never wore much make-up, and this was a huge contrast to her preferred natural style.

Dominique then forced her into a pair of black high heels, which Victoire knew would kill her feet before the end of the night. She refused to wear anything other than her gold locket, (although she consented to having her mother change the colour to silver, just for that night) and Dominique found her a pair of silver chandelier earrings, with little diamond jewels.

Her mother didn't seem to be able to see any problem with the way Victoire had been made up. "Victoire, darling, you look wonderful!" she cried, in French, when Victoire presented herself for maternal inspection. "You'll have all the boys after you! My little angel. And Dominique! I must say, that dress is wonderful for you. You look very chic. Beautiful!" Her mother pulled both girls into a hug.

Her father joined in. "I'm lucky to have three such beautiful women in my life," he said, kissing their mother over their heads.

Victoire enjoyed the party more than she had expected. True, it was hard to ignore the stares of the boys in the room, all sons and grandsons of her mother's friends. She didn't exactly enjoy the feeling that she was a show pony on parade, on object merely to look at. However, she seemed to have reached the age, or maybe it was simply the costume she wore, where the adults seemed much more inclined to include her in their conversation, and actually listen to her opinions, and it was this that she enjoyed. It was nice to finally be treated as an adult, respected in her own right.

It was also nice to see her other cousins, Renee and Charlotte, and her aunt Gabrielle. The twin girls were displayed in all their two-year-old delight, both beautiful, blonde little cherubs.

However, after endless discussions with people she didn't now, the fun began to wear off. She found her father standing alone in the cool kitchen.

"All right daddy?" she asked.

"Yeah fine. I'm just not really cut out for this kind of thing. Your mother does it so much better. Plus, they all speak so fast, I can barely understand it!"

Victoire laughed. Her father, although now pretty much fluent in French, still had trouble keeping up with it when it was spoken fast.

He pulled her into a hug. "You look lovely tonight darling," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. When she pulled away, she say he had tears in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Just, seeing my little girl all grown up. Forgive an old man his sentimentality. Now, get back to the party. Your mother won't be impressed if you don't have anyone to kiss at midnight."

Victoire slipped back. The night wore on. As midnight came around, a small queue of boys had formed around Victoire, ranging in age from twelve to eighteen. Victoire sighed. She didn't know when, and she didn't know how, but one day, her mother and sister were going to pay for this.

As the clock sounded midnight, and the new year began, Victoire ended up kissing, admittedly the best looking boy at the party, who had been nearest to her, and pulled her towards him before she could object. It was a good kiss, but Victoire didn't enjoy it as much as any other girl would have done. She couldn't help comparing it to Teddy, and couldn't stop the little bubble of guilt that burst inside her, as though she had betrayed him.

After midnight, most people began to leave, but it was still quarter to one by the time Victoire was allowed to go up to her room. She entered the bedroom, and immediately pulled off the horribly uncomfortable shoes, sighing with relief. She threw the shoes under her bed, where hopefully they would be forgotten and she would never be forced to wear them again. She removed the earrings which were making her ears hurt.

Suddenly a movement out of the window distracted her.

There was someone on her balcony.

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

**No prizes for guessing who**

**My apologies for not updating in a while! No excuse really. just lack of time.**

**Thanks for your views, reviews and favourites! Next chapter when I can next update!  
**


	25. Chapter 24: A Pleasant Surprise

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

Teddy

It had been a long week of waiting for Teddy. Waiting and thinking. Waiting to get back to school, thinking about Victoire.

Sure, he had done stuff. He had been to the Potter's for dinner a few times, and had met up in Diagon Alley with Andrew and his other mates. They had ended up getting a bit tipsy in the Leaky Cauldron. However, none of it distracted him from the yearning to see Victoire. Normally he would have gone round on one of the days, but he didn't know if he was welcome. He didn't know if Victoire would want to see him. After all, she was probably trying to sort out her feelings, and he didn't want to distract her.

On New Year's Eve, he went to the Potter's with his grandmother. They had a nice meal, and then Teddy was on child duty to give Harry and Ginny a break, so that they could relax. All three kids wanted to stay up past midnight, but by eleven o'clock, only James was still functioning. Harry took over watching out for James, and Teddy went outside. The garden was blanketed by snow, which was disturbed by a smattering of small feet and an army of half-melted snowmen.

Teddy had been thinking about Victoire the entire evening, as had become the norm. He knew that her French grandparents would be holding a large New Year's Eve party. He remembered the tradition at those parties. You were supposed to kiss someone at midnight.

He didn't want anyone to kiss Victoire except himself. He knew that was possessive and jealous, but it was how he felt. He wished that there was some way in which he could be there to kiss her at midnight. But he had to stay here, at the Potter's. He couldn't think of a reasonable excuse to leave so that he could casually apparate to France…

"Go to her."

The voice made him whip around. Ginny was standing there, a blanket covering her shoulders, protecting her from the cold.

"W-wuh? What?"

"I know that look, Teddy Lupin. Go to her. Tell her you love her. Go on."

"But, I can't just leave…"

"Yes you can, and you're going to. Harry and Andromeda agree. You've been pensive all evening. You don't want to be here, no don't argue," she stopped his protests with a gesture. "You want to be with her. Now go on. Get out of here."

"Really?" Teddy asked.

"Go." Ginny smiled, then hugged him. "I have a feeling she'll appreciate it."

Teddy looked up at her. "I… thanks."

"Don't mention it." She handed Teddy his jacket.

Teddy pulled it on as he ran out of the gate. He turned on the spot and disapparated.

He had only been to the house once, a very long time ago. That visit had been terrifying for him, he had only been about six. He and Victoire had been inseperable, even then. He had gone away with Victoire's family to give his grandmother a rest. He remembered being scared of the tall woman with the funny voice, who looked like Victoire's mummy, but older, despite her having been perfectly lovely to him. He had stayed close to Victoire, who had seemed quite at ease in the surroundings which had been completely alien to him.

The house had changed slightly through the years, probably so slowly and subtley that had there not been the gap of over ten years, he might not have noticed. However, he still recognised it. He was at the front of the house. A couple of people were leaving, laughing happily. "_Bonne année_," they said to him as they passed him. He nodded slightly to them, and slipped in through the gate. He wanted his moment with Victoire to be private. He slipped around the side of the house, and through the gate which led to the garden. From there he looked up, fairly certain that no one in the big house could see him from the large windows which looked into the room, which showed clear signs of being home to a party.

He looked up. There were three balconies for each floor. Victoire's bedroom was on… the second floor. How the hell was he going to get up? He should have brought a broom.

He had a stroke of inspiration, which made him giggle at the sheer childishness of it.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," he said, pointing his wand at his shoes. Instantly he began to rise. He laughed at how stupid this must look, but nevertheless it worked. He was soon level with the second floor balcony on the far left. He waved his wand, and he was once again subjected to the laws of gravity. He climbed onto the balcony and peered into the room. He couldn't see much inside, and decided to check the next one. He realised how stupid his plan was, but he didn't have another option. He climbed across and looked in.

Suddenly, the light inside snapped on, and he pulled back, peering beside the window. It was Victoire. She looked absolutely stunning, in a tight black dress, her hair done up in a bun, wearing more make-up than usual, but somehow, he prefered her when she looked more natural. He watched her pull off her shoes (which looked ridiculously high, and he could tell were extremely uncomfortable) and sigh with relief, before pulling of her earrings.

Suddenly, she froze, then turned around to the door. She looked at it for a minute, before walking over to it and opening the door.

"Who's there?"

"Shh, it's only me!" Teddy said.

"Teddy!" Victoire slipped out of the door, and examined him, as though checking that it really was him. "What are you doing here? And why the hell are you on my balcony?"

"I wanted to surprise you," he muttered.

"Well, it worked," she said, but he thought he saw a smile in her eyes.

"I was at the Potters, and I was thinking about you, here at the party, and having to kiss someone at midnight and…" he trailed off. He didn't know if he had the courage to say what he knew he had to.

"And…" Victoire prompted him.

He had to say it. "And I realised that I didn't want you to kiss anyone… unless that someone was me."

"Oh."

"So, I came here, hoping that maybe… you'd kiss me at midnight?"

Victoire looked deep into his eyes. "Teddy… midnight was nearly an hour ago."

"What?" Teddy was confused. "Oh. Time difference. Stupid."

Victoire laughed. Teddy blushed. How could he forget the time difference? His romantic gesture had completely failed.

"It doesn't matter," Victoire said, and drew him towards her, hugging him gently. She looked up at him, her hands moving so that they were flat against his chest.

"Well," Teddy whispered, moving his hand to her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "There is definitely one advantage."

"What's that?" she whispered back, closing her eyes. She was so close, her lined eyes and painted mouth just inches from him.

"I don't have to wait seven minutes until I can kiss you," Teddy whispered, before closing the gap between them, pressing his lips to hers.

The instant they touched, it felt as though the world stopped spinning. Everything else slipped away, the cold night air, the balcony, even the bright winter stars. All that Teddy could feel, all he could comprehend, was the girl he was kissing, who was currently kissing him back as though her life depended on it. Her lips tasted of her lipstick and cherry lip balm, he could smell her flowery perfume. He had one hand on her waist, and the other slid from her face into her hair, his fingers clumsily touching hair slides and clips.

She gently pulled back. "Not the hair," she whispered. "Dom will kill you."

Teddy grinned. Did she do you up tonight?"

"Yeah. I think she went overboard on it."

"You look lovely," Teddy whispered. "But you look just as beautiful without it all."

Victoire pulled back slightly. Teddy was confused. Had he said the wrong thing?

"Why do you like me?" she asked.

"Because… you're the only person who knows that I like listening to muggle classic rock, you're the only person who remembers that I like black tea, but take my coffee with milk, you're the only one of my friends who really knows about my monthly headaches. You're the one person I can tell everything to and know they won't judge me. You're the one person who knows me better than I know myself Vic, and still wants to talk to me in spite of that. I don't feel I have to be anyone when I'm with you, it's like… I can just be myself."

Victoire narrowed her eyes. "And how do I take my tea?" she asked him, half joking.

Teddy grinned. "Victoire Apolline Weasley. You don't like tea, but you love coffee, and could drink hot chocolate by the gallon." Victoire smiled. Teddy continued.

"You like the Weird Sisters, but you love classical music. You don't have a favourite song, but lots of songs you like. Your favourite food is pizza and anything cooked by your grandma. Your worst fear is any of your family dying and you have a phobia of horses. Your favourite childhood story was _The Fountain of Fair Fortune_. You like reading muggle fiction, and have a soft spot for romantic stories. You hate shopping on crowded days, you love watching the rain and hate it when it's just stopped raining and the sun looks weak."

"Ok! Ok enough!" Victoire laughed. "And while that is… impressive, that you got every single one of those things right, that's the sort of thing you should know! You're my best friend! And besides, it doesn't really answer the question. Why do you like me?"

"I don't like you. I'm in love with you, Victoire Weasley. You're smart, kind, and funny, and beautiful in every way possible. And I need you."

"Teddy, I…" Victoire didn't seem to be able to say anything. Instead, she communicated her thoughts to him in a way more sincere than any combination of words could express. She reached up and kissed him again. It was a very sweet kiss, full of hope and promise. However it had to end. There was a noise from inside the room.

"Crap. Dom. Look you'd better go. I'll… see you soon," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek. The skin tingled pleasantly where she had touched it.

Teddy climbed over the balcony, so that he was on the other side.

"By the way, Vic?" he whispered, as she turned to go.

"What?" she asked.

He grinned. "That dress is sexy as hell," he said, with a wink, before letting go, breaking his fall with a cushioning charm. He landed softly on the ground, looking up at the balcony. Victoire was leaning over it, looking down at him.

"I'll be sure to wear it more often!" she hissed down at him, before blowing a kiss, then turning around and disappearing. Teddy grinned, and diasapparated.

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**Well, I know a lot of you saw that coming. But you should know by now, this story doesn't have much by way of interesting, original plot twists!  
**

**Thanks for all the reviews, next chapter when I can next update!  
**


	26. Chapter 25: Elated Ecstatic and Euphoric

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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Victoire

Victoire was ecstatic. Elated. Euphoric. A whole bunch of other words she would never use.

It was funny how easily she had changed her mind. But hadn't she decided to allow things to take their natural course? Well, the course had been followed, and this was the result.

Seeing Teddy… it had been so magical. He had come all that way, just to tell her that he loved her… not to mention the rush of emotion which had overcome her upon seeing him, upon kissing him. That kiss had been magical. The feel of his lips against hers was the only thing that stopped her from thinking that it was a dream. As it was, she still had to pinch herself every few minutes to be sure that she wasn't asleep.

She had been forced to admit to herself what she had been feeling when Teddy said the word which bound all of those emotions together, _love_. That was what she had been denying for weeks, months really.

It seemed silly to continue to pretend that it was just the remnants of an old crush, when it was obvious that the feelings ran deeper than that. She was in love with her best friend, and he was in love with her. It was the kind of thing that only happened in storybooks, muggle fiction and fairy tales. And yet it was happening to her.

Victoire slipped back into her room.

"What were you doing out there?" Dominique demanded.

"Just… getting some fresh air," Victoire replied, the picture of nonchalance.

"Why is your lipstick all smeared?"

Damn. "I must have wiped my mouth. I've been dying to do that all evening, but I knew you'd kill me." She began to take the pins out of her hair. Dominique left to brush her teeth, and Victoire slipped out of the dress and into her comfortable pyjamas. She looked at the dress, now lying over her travel bag. It wasn't so bad, really, she decided. Not so bad at all.

A few minutes later, she was in the bathroom, removing her make-up as though removing a mask. _It had been fun_, she thought, as she rubbed hard at the dark eyeshadow with a flannel. It had been fun, dressing up, like an actor on stage. She had felt that she had been playing a part, the pretty, coveted heroine. But, on reflection, she would much rather be herself, simply Victoire. She wondered if any of the boys ogling her that night would have looked twice at her, had she not been so dramatically made up, and wearing such a tight dress.

But she didn't need any of them, she thought with a smile. She had found someone who knew what she looked like when she had just rolled out of bed, and loved her anyway. That was far more precious than any jewel in even the most expensive collection, more valuable than any number of Valentines sent by any number of boys.

She climbed into bed, suddenly exhausted from the party, and emotional revelations. She thought of the kiss again as she settled down to sleep, and grinned to herself. Her second last thought before drifting off to sleep was of the look on Felicity's face when she found out. Her last thought was of Teddy's smile, just inches from hers.

Throughout the remaining week of the holiday, Victoire didn't do much. Her family stayed with her grandparents for a few more days, before going home. It was a nice holiday, but Victoire found herself aching to be at home. She was desperate to see Teddy again. Despite their revelations with regards to one another, there was still so much left unsaid.

Two days before term began again, Teddy called round to Shell Cottage. Victoire was, obviously, delighted to see him. Instead of risk being overheard in the cottage, they made their way to the patch of beach which Victoire always thought of as theirs. Victoire had brought a large thick blanket from the house, which she wrapped around both of their shoulders, and Teddy lit a small, blue fire which burned away, the tongues of flame rippling in the cold wind, but never disappearing.

Victoire leaned against Teddy's chest, his arm around her. She could hear the steady thrum of his heartbeat against her ear, feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, echoing the ebb and flow of the sea. They didn't talk at first. It was enough to simply be with one another, to know that the other felt the same way. Love was like a bubble, a bubble that nothing could burst.

"When did you realise?" Teddy asked after a while. Victoire could feel the words as they were spoken.

"I don't know," she replied, truthfully. It was hard to pinpoint exactly when her feelings had changed. "I suppose… when I saw you and Felicity together. I couldn't understand why I felt so… upset about it. But I convinced myself it was just a crush. But, I suppose that was when I started to feel differently. When was it for you?"

"I realised, definitely, that night as well. Because I felt so horribly guilty, and then I realised… it was because I didn't want to kiss anyone but you. But it wasn't so sudden. I'd been thinking about you more and more ever since the beginning of term."

"That long?" Victoire asked.

"Yeah. That long." They were silent for a little while. Then Teddy said, "have you told anyone?"

"Not yet. I was going to see if you had."

"I haven't." They were quiet again.

"Who are we going to tell?" Victoire asked. "I don't know if we can keep this a secret. If we want to act like a couple at school, then our friends are going to know, and most of our family. If Dominique finds out then she'll definitely tell my parents, and if Fred finds out he'll make fun of us constantly, not to mention making sure every member of the family knows about us."

"I see your point."

"And, I don't know how my parents would feel about me going out with a guy two years older than me, even if it is you, who I've known forever. I am only fifteen, and that's still quite young for this kind of thing."

"I know."

"And besides," Victoire continued, "if it doesn't work out, it'll be awkward enough being around each other anyway, without the whole family feeling awkward as well."  
"But I really don't think that's going to be an issue, do you?" Teddy asked, stroking her hair.

"I hope not," Victoire replied, kissing him gently on the lips. Teddy responded with enthusiasm, burying his hand in her hair.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too. But we need to talk about this. We need to decide."

"I know. So. Do we tell people, or keep it a secret?"

"I don't know," Victoire sighed. "I don't want to keep it a secret. I don't want to hide this. I'm not ashamed. But… I don't know if I can cope with everyone talking about it. And this year… there's a lot of pressure, on both of us. You have your NEWTs, I have my OWLs. We won't be able to spend much time together. And it's not like we really hang out together at school anyway."

"I know. But this is our last year, together. I'll be leaving, and we won't see each other much for two whole years."

"Let's cross that when we come to it. I'm more worried about the here and now."

"Right. So, do you want to tell anyone?"

"I… I don't think I can keep this secret from Jenny. Or Molly. But I trust that neither of those two will tell anyone if I ask them not to."

Teddy was quiet for a moment. "I don't know who out of my friends I could tell. Maybe Andrew. And… I'd like to tell my Grandma. I don't like keeping secrets from her, she's my only family."

"I understand. But… do you think you could ask her to not tell anyone until the summer? I'd like to be the one to tell my parents… and maybe by the summer it'll seem more acceptable to them."

Again, Teddy paused. "Did it ever occur to you that they may already know? I mean, Harry and Ginny both guessed."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, at Christmas, I asked Harry for some… advice. After all the situation…"

"Is very similar," Victoire finished for him. "I agree. I had a conversation about it with Ginny."

"Did you? That's funny. Seems we both had the same idea."

"Well, you know what they say. Great minds think alike!"

"Indeed."

They were quiet once again. "So," Victoire said. "You tell your grandma, and maybe one of your friends. One you can trust to keep it a secret. I'll tell Jenny and Molly. We wait until the summer to tell my parents." Victoire paused for a second. "I suppose I should tell Dominique too. She's bound to find out, and she'd be hurt that I didn't tell her myself. Besides, I have a fair bit of blackmail material on her. I could make sure she doesn't tell anyone."

Teddy chuckled. "Really? Like what?"

"That's classified," Victoire grinned. "Stuff I promised I wouldn't tell."

"I understand," Teddy said.

"But if she can't keep her mouth shut, you may just find out…" Victoire teased him, snuggling closer to his warm, muscular body. Right then she felt as though there was no future, no world around them. The only things that existed in the universe were Teddy, and the vast ocean before them. They both looked out to the dim horizon, from which the weak winter light was already beginning to fade.

"Victoire?" Teddy said.

"Yeah?"

"You know on New Year's Eve… and I got all muddled about the time difference?" Victoire grinned. It had been so cute. "Did that mean… that you did kiss someone else at midnight?"

Victoire sighed. She'd been hoping that this wouldn't come up. "Yeah. Guys had been ogling me all night, and then by midnight there were loads of them around, and the one nearest just sort of grabbed me."

"Oh." Teddy was silent for a little while. "How was it?" he said after a moment, his voice tight.

"Honestly?" Victoire moved her head off his chest, and looked him in the eye. "It was a good kiss. A great one. From a really good-looking guy. Easily the hottest guy in the room." Teddy looked annoyed. Victoire grinned again. "But it was nothing, compared to you." She kissed him softly on the lips. "See?" she whispered. "I'd rather do this any day."

Teddy laughed, and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm glad to hear it," he said, smiling. The talking pretty much stopped after that, although that didn't necessarily mean that they stopped communicating their feelings.

"Teddy and I are dating, and you are not to tell anyone, understood?"

Dominique put down her magazine and looked directly at Victoire, who was stood at the end of her bed. "I know."

"You-what?" Victoire was startled.

"Come on," Dominique said exasperatedly. "You really think I believed your lame story about 'wiping your mouth' and 'getting some air'? Come on Vic, you aren't that great a liar."

Victoire laughed. "I suppose."

"Besides, I saw the two of you kissing."

"You did?"

"Of course! You really think that thirteen years of being a little sister have taught me nothing? I can be pretty good at spying when I want to be."

"That you can." Victoire sat on the end of her sister's bed.

"I caught you at it again on the beach yesterday."

"What!?"

"Oh get over yourself already. Besides, it's not like it's that big a deal. The whole family have seen it coming for years!"

"Really?"

"Of course! Remember Dad used to joke about it with Grandpa?"

"Yeah, I do. Dom? You haven't told anyone have you?"

Dom raised her eyebrows, an evil glint in her eye. "Well, I might have mentioned it to Dad, and Uncle Ron when he came round the other day. Oh and I sent an owl to Fred, but they don't really count, right?"

"You-what? You didn't-" Victoire spluttered.

Dominique laughed. "No, of course I haven't told anyone. You really think I'd stoop that low?"

Victoire breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks Dom."

"What are sisters for?" Dominique said. Victoire smiled. "Now get out of my room."

"Going." Victoire reached the door. "By the way, Dom? If you do happen to let slip, you know, about Teddy and me to anyone, especially Fred, I may have to inform them about a certain incident last year at _Mamie'_s. I'm sure you know the one?"

Dominique blanched. "You wouldn't."

"No, you're right. Unless I'm given a perfectly good reason to."

"Well played my sister, well played."

Victoire laughed, before turning serious again. "No one finds out about me and Teddy unless we tell them directly. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Thanks Dom."

"No problem. Now leave me alone."

"Leaving."

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

**To those who were confused as to whether they are dating or not, I hope thats cleared that up for you.  
**

**Sorry if I don't update in a while. School is starting again properly as of tomorrow, so I'll probably have less time for writing and stuff.  
**

**As always, huge thanks to  
**

****** MaryLouise1996, Valkariekain, HarryPotterNut94, GoldenGyrfalcon, ksrli, ohsosexyfoxhat, ntasdbevertickleasleepingdra gon, iheartweasleytwins, HogwartsDreamer113, meganooch, , narniaandharrypotter4ever, My Thunder, The Scratch Of Quills, xoxopotterheadxoxo, confusednikki24-7, deathlyhallowsalways, TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish, JustMeMarissa, mimzy69, owlcity2013, RJMSnape, GreenField, Calixte, Bookwormlovesharrypotter, .311, snowybare96, Teddy Lupin Forever, NifflerPajamas0519, Eeyore1999, Paralove, Hallows Searcher, JessandDarcy, and PJHPSGfan.**

******Thanks also to the 66 who've followed, the 37 who've favourited, and anyone else who's read this. I've reached well over 10,000 views thanks to you, and it makes me so happy to think that people are reading and enjoying my work.  
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******Thanks again!  
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******Love  
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	27. Chapter 26: Keeping Secrets

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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**Teddy  
**

Teddy was packing his things into his trunk. It was the night before he returned to school, and he still hadn't told his grandmother about himself and Victoire. He just couldn't think when was the right time to do it. He vowed to himself that he would do it tonight.

Andromeda had cooked him his favourite meal, steak and chips, followed by chocolate ice cream. His grandmother watched him as he licked the bowl to get every last scrap of ice cream, the way he used to when he was little.

"You know," she said, smiling indulgently, "it's hard for me to accept that you've grown up. You aren't my little boy any more. You're an amazing young man, and I want you to know, I couldn't be more proud of you." She wiped a tear from her brown eyes.

"Listen to me, getting sentimental, whatever are you going to do with me?" she laughed. "It just seems like yesterday you were afraid of the monster in the wardrobe, and needed me to give you a cuddle. It's just hit me recently that… well, you don't really need me any more." Her voice cracked slightly.

"Hey," Teddy said, getting up from his seat and walking over to her side of the table. Hugged her gently. "I will always need you," he said. "You'll always be the first person that I turn to when I need help, or advice, or just to complain about something. And I'm going to need a lot of help. So like it or not, I'm not going to disappear."

"Well, I hope you know that I'm always here for you. Every day."

Teddy could feel himself welling up. "Thanks Grandma."

He knelt on the floor and put his head in her lap, just as he had done when he was younger and was upset. She stroked his hair gently. "You know, Teddy? You seem much happier recently. Ever since New Year's Day. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Teddy looked up. It was now or never. "Well… you probably know this but… well… I'm going out with Victoire."

Andromeda's eyes lit up with happiness as she smiled. "Oh Teddy, darling, that's wonderful!"

"Thanks," Teddy said, grinning.

"I always hoped something would happen, I always suspected. I assume that's who you were asking me about before Christmas?"

"Yes," Teddy replied. "I didn't know then… whether she felt the same way. But I'm so lucky that she does."

"I'm so happy for you sweetheart," Andromeda told him, stroking his face

"Thanks," Teddy said. "But, can you do me a favour?"

"Of course."

"Don't tell anyone? Victoire and I talked about it, and we don't really want the entire family knowing about us just yet. You know, in case something goes wrong. And… well, I know Victoire wanted to tell her parents, but neither of us knows how they'll react, what with her being two years younger and all."

Andromeda smiled. "I'm sure most of the family already know. We've all been expecting it for years."

Teddy laughed. "Really? I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised. Oh well. Just… don't tell anyone until we do?"

"You know I wouldn't darling."

"Thanks."

They were quiet for a minute, then Andromeda asked, "are you really that worried about it not working out?"

Yeah, I am. The reason it took us so long… took me so long, was that I was afraid of everyone else's reaction… and she's my best friend, and I didn't want to lose her by making it awkward between us. So… I waited, but then, something happened at Christmas. We talked about it and she said she might feel something… more. Than just friendship, I mean. And then by New Year, I just… couldn't hold it in any longer. Then Ginny told me to go and see her, and tell her, and I'm so glad I did."

Andromeda smiled. "I'm so glad."

"Thanks," Teddy smiled.

. "I'm sure it'll work out for you two. You really do suit each other well."

Teddy didn't say anything. He just sat there, savouring this moment with the woman who was the closest thing to a mother he had, and realising that this would be the last time he would be home for the holidays. After the summer it was hopefully, to the Auror department for him. He didn't know if he would stay at home, or maybe move closer to the Ministry, strike out and try living on his own. His future was uncertain, so much depended on these last few terms at Hogwarts, and getting onto the Auror training programme. This was perhaps the last time he would leave this house knowing that he would be coming back.

* * *

Sitting in the train compartment on the way back to Hogwarts the next day, a curious feeling of melancholy settled over Teddy, and it seemed to affect the rest of the boys as well. Perhaps it was because Christmas was over, and all they had left to look forward to was hard work and exams. But perhaps it was more than that, perhaps it was the knowledge that this would be the last time they would sit on the train on the way to the castle, which had been their home for the best part of seven years.

Teddy knew that was part of the reason he was feeling a little down. The other part was that he hadn't seen Victoire for a couple of days, and couldn't talk to her about this strange feeling. He still wasn't entirely sure how they were going to act towards each other while at school, if they weren't going to specifically tell people that they were dating.

The train sped through the countryside, drawing them closer to Hogwarts. The journey was mostly uneventful for Teddy. He managed to restrain himself from going out and hexing Selkirk into oblivion when the Head Boy walked past their compartment. He managed to restrain himself from going to find Victoire, when he got bored of watching his friends chatting to their girlfriends. Ephraim and Sarah seemed to have hit it off at the Christmas Ball, as she was sat in the compartment with them, leaning against his chest. He leaned down to whisper something in her ear, and she blushed and giggled a little.

It made him smile, remembering that if Aidan and Kelly were to do the slightest thing, Ephraim would be the first to call them up on it. Now, here he was, acting almost the same way.

Teddy looked around the rest of the compartment. Aidan and Kelly were taking advantage of Ephraim's distractions to enjoy a good snog. Andrew and Finn were both talking quietly, trying to ignore the demonstrations of affection sat next to them. As far as Teddy knew, both of their dates had gone successfully. Both had managed to get themselves a second date.

To an outsider, it would appear that Teddy was the only one without a girlfriend. Teddy had no idea why that seemed to matter so much this year, but it did. And there was a part of him that still wanted to keep himself and Victoire a secret, but the rest of him really didn't want to. The rest of him wanted to tell everyone, make sure that the whole school knew that she was his, and he was hers, and that was unlikely to change any time soon.

After an hour or so, the lunch trolley came around, and Teddy bought a stack of cauldron cakes and some chocolate frogs. Not long after that, the compartment was treated to the amusing spectacle of Ephraim and Sarah trying to subtly excuse themselves from the compartment.

"They'll be shagging in the toilets," Aidan commented dryly.

"Ugh, an we _please_ not talk about this? I'll be scarred for the rest of my life!" Teddy sighed.

"Same," Andrew muttered with a shudder.

It was hard for the rest of the compartment o hold in their giggles when the couple returned, looking slightly more rumpled than they should have done.

A bit later on, Teddy excused himself to go to the toilets. He made his way past the compartments, checking inside each one, hoping to see Victoire. However, when he reached the toilets, he saw her. She was waiting outside the ladies, looking bored and tired. Her face lit up when she saw him.

"Teddy!" she said, smiling. He walked over to her. They stood for a moment, not quite sure what to do, then Victoire moved towards him, and he opened his arms, and they hugged like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I've missed you," he said.

"Really?" Victoire seemed surprised, but flattered. "It's only been a few days."

"It always seems like so much longer," he admitted.

Victoire laughed. "When did you get so smooth? You'll have to be careful, or I'll swoon at your feet, and the secret'll be out!"

Teddy grinned. "Well, I suppose if it gives me a chance to catch you, and for you to be eternally grateful, the gesture won't be entirely wasted?"

"You wish," Victoire snorted.

"Ah, I do, you know me too well. And as for the secret getting out…"

The door to the ladies burst open.

"What secret?"

Molly Weasley junior was not often an angry or particularly intimidating person. She was fairly quiet, due to shyness rather than a lack of things to say, and was really the most sensible and responsible of the Weasley clan. But in that moment, framed by the doorway, her resemblance to her namesake was striking.

"Victoire? Have you been keeping secrets from me?"

Victoire looked slightly upset. "Not really. I was going to tell you, as soon as we were alone."

"So the walk down half the train didn't count?"

"Come on Moll, you know that a busy train isn't really the place to tell secrets."

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long have you been dating without even bothering to tell me?"

"Only… since New Year's Eve."

Molly still looked upset, but Teddy thought he saw her glare soften. "And you didn't think to send me a letter or anything?"

"It's not really the sort of thing you send in a letter. I told you everything I knew, everything that happened, at Christmas. And then, at New Year… well, we finally realised and I didn't really know what was happening or who we were telling..."

Teddy could see that Victoire was feeling guilty and he decided to cut in. "We talked it over, and Vic decided that she would tell you and Jenny. Oh and Dom of course. She really was going to tell you, she didn't want to keep secrets from you." Victoire nodded earnestly.

Molly's face lost its anger. It was now, however, blank of emotion. This worried Teddy more than the anger had. What if she never spoke to Victoire again, and it was his fault?

"Was this what you said you wanted to tell me earlier?" Molly asked.

This made no sense to Teddy, but apparently it did to Victoire, as she nodded. "But then the others barged in…" she seemed lost. Teddy knew how much Molly meant to her.

Molly looked from one to the other, then dived at them, pulling them both into such a tight hug that Teddy found it hard to breathe. "I'm just so happy for you! I knew this would happen! Oh, I'm so glad you finally figured it out!"

"We are too," Victoire mumbled. "Moll? Would you mind not breaking my ribs?"

"Yes."

"Fair enough."

Molly eventually let them go. "Oh, and by the way, _I told you so_!" she gloated.

Victoire laughed, massaging her ribs. "That you did. But you weren't the only one.

Molly still appeared to be talking to herself. "I knew it!"

"Yeah, yeah, all right, so did the rest of the family. Anyway, we'd better get back. Bye Teddy!"

She reached up and kissed him quickly on the cheek. Teddy laughed as the two cousins walked back towards their compartment, arm in arm. His cheek tingled pleasantly where Victoire's lips had touched it, and he absent-mindedly touched it with his fingers. He watched them until they had disappeared from sight, and made his way back to his own compartment, having completely forgotten why he had left it in the first place.

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

**Thanks again to all of you for reading and (hopefully) enjoying this story. Sorry it's taken a while, I've been really busy. I'm also running out of chapters to post on here, mainly because I don't have as much time to write as before. Also, i****f it's a bit slow for a while, I do apologize. Hopefully it'll get more interesting.**  



	28. Chapter 27: Honesty, Gossip and Lectures

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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Victoire

Victoire was glad that she had been honest with her cousin. To be honest, it felt like a great weight off her chest. She hated lying to her. Now all she had to do was tell Jenny, and her part would be over. She didn't need to worry about telling her parents until the summer. She was confident that her sister wouldn't tell. Irritating though she might be, Victoire knew that if she genuinely asked her sister for something like this, then her sister would agree. She might be irritating, embarrassing, might blab about little things, trivial things, but something big, and Victoire knew she could count on her Dom.

The two girls entered the compartment, where the conversation hadn't much progressed since they had left it. In the corner, Jenny was looking lost and alone, although at the sight of Victoire and Molly, she brightened up.

Victoire had planned to sit with just Molly and Jenny, so that she could tell them together about herself and Teddy, and Molly could join her friends later on. She had told them both that she wanted to talk to them privately, and they had both agreed. However, she had been just about to start telling them, when Felicity, Diana and Jasmine had barged in.

"_There _you are!" Felicity cried, insincerity dripping from every inch of her body. "We've been looking everywhere for you!" The three girls stowed their luggage in the luggage racks and sat down, proceeding to avidly discuss the, apparently many, boys they had hooked up with over the Christmas holidays. Victoire and Molly had gone to the toilets merely to escape the bland discussion

And so now Molly knew. Victoire hated that she hadn't been able to tell both of her friends at the same time. She hadn't wanted either of them to feel like they were the last to know. However, it was too late for that. She would try to tell Jenny later that evening.

Victoire sat down next to Jenny, and the journey continued. Not long after their return, Molly left to join her own friends, and, Victoire wasn't going to lie, she was sorely tempted to join her. However, there was no way that both she and Jenny could tactfully leave, so they both had to sit it out. Mostly Victoire daydreamed about Teddy, while Jenny was reading _Transfiguration Tips: The Official OWL Revision Guide_. However, strangely, something in the dull conversation actually caught Victoire's attention.

Actually, it wasn't that strange, considering the thing that sparked her interest was the very thing she had been thinking about.

"So why didn't Teddy have a date for the ball?" Diana asked.

"I don't know," Felicity replied, looking slightly put out. "I mean, come on, I was going with Josh Davies! He isn't even that hot, I mean, I'd have dumped him in a second if Teddy had asked me!"

"Well, the thing about Teddy," Victoire couldn't stop herself from saying, "he won't ask you out if he knows you're already dating someone."

"That's weird," Felicity said, looking genuinely confused, making Victoire want to laugh out loud. Honestly, she was so thick sometimes.

"So strange," she muttered.

"Well, it's not like he'd ask you," Felicity commented waspishly. "I mean, he must have not asked anyone, because no girl in their right mind would turn him down."

_You're right there,_ Victoire thought. But then, she hadn't been in her right mind. She had been confused and annoyed with Teddy, not to mention already dating someone. However, she had clearly rectified that mistake.

"Speaking of guys who'd ask you out," Felicity continued, her mind switching topics the way a bee switches flowers, "what happened with you and Euan Selkirk at the ball?"

Victoire blanched. She hadn't thought of what she was going to tell people other than those she could be completely honest with. She thought for a moment, before diplomatically deciding.

"It was fun at first, but we just weren't really suited to each other."

Felicity laughed. "What's this "_not suited to each other" _crap? It's not like you have to get married or something! It was just a date!"

"Well… he wasn't really the person I thought he was. I realised that… it wouldn't work long term. I'm sorry if the idea of a long-term relationship confuses you, but the way I work my relationships is my decision, not yours."

"So, how's that working out for you Victoire? Got a boyfriend yet?"

Victoire was sorely tempted to reply with a defiant (and truthful) 'yes'. However, she had already decided that she wanted to keep it a secret from Felicity, lest the entire school should find out. She had promised Teddy that she wouldn't, and there was still a part of her that wanted to keep that information private.

So, Victoire gave up the opportunity to win the argument and prove her point, by saying nothing. Felicity, of course, took her silence to mean no.

"See. It's natural to have a little fun sometimes? Why wait for some Mr Right who might never show up?"

Victoire didn't bother to answer. It was her choice, and hers alone, whether Felicity, someone she didn't even like, agreed with it or not. And besides, her Mr Right had shown up.

And so, sharing an exasperated glance with Jenny, Victoire picked up a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ and hid behind it.

The journey wore on with a minimum of disturbance, Victoire studiously ignoring Felicity, refusing to let herself be goaded by the girl. When she had finished with the newspaper, she swapped reading material with Jenny, wishing once again that she and her friend were alone in the compartment, so that Victoire could tell Jenny about Teddy.

The train snaked through the countryside, bringing them closer and closer to Hogwarts. The sky outside darkened as the day wore on, revealing a cloudy night. Rain glittered against the train windows as it pulled into Hogsmeade station.

Victoire and Jenny ran together through the rain to find an empty carriage, desperate not to be trapped in a carriage with Felicity. They eventually found a carriage in which their Ravenclaw friends were sitting, and closed the door, giggling at their own genius, their hair damp from the drizzle.

The carriage began its bumping, swaying procession towards the gates. Victoire's stomach was rumbling; she dreamed of the large plates of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding that were surely waiting for her up at the castle…

The carriage stopped at the gates, and Victoire and her friends ran into the shelter of the entrance hall. Victoire and Jenny sat next to Molly at the table. Glancing up and down the gradually filling table, Victoire caught Teddy's eye. She grinned and winked at him, he acknowledged with a smile, his hair flickering red. Victoire grinned to herself, her heart speeding up slightly as she looked away.

"Jenny," she said. "I have something really important to tell you… I can't do it right now, but don't let me forget ok?"

Jenny looked slightly confused, but nodded. "Sure."

"It's something… private… and I can't really do it with everyone listening in… but don't let me forget."

"Ok."

Victoire didn't know why she had said that. It was probably very irritating, teasing her friend like that. But she wanted to say _something_. She didn't want Jenny to feel as though she'd been forgotten.

When the hall was full of damp, tired students, McGonagall stood to welcome them all, and finally, the plates in front of them filled with food.

"Finally," Victoire muttered, helping herself to roast potatoes, roast beef and vegetables. It was wonderful to be back.

* * *

Of course, she felt quite differently in the morning.

After three lectures, in which the importance of the OWLs was explored to entirely new and deeply boring levels, Victoire was ready to crawl back into bed and hibernate until they were all over. However, unfortunately, that was not an option. By lunch, Victoire was stressed, tired, and altogether, not in the best of moods. She still hadn't found time to tell Jenny about herself and Teddy, she couldn't seem to find her favourite quill, and her head seemed to explode from stress. She also felt strangely tired.

She also couldn't ignore the fact that people seemed to be whispering about her behind her back. Not much, but every now and then, she would walk past someone who stopped talking as soon as she passed.

It confused her for a little while before she remembered… she had been on a (rather public) date with the Head Boy, and now they had showed no signs of being together. Despite what Felicity said, this seemed to give several people cause to gossip.

Mostly Victoire was able to ignore it. After all, it was hardly going to effect the state of world affairs. It was merely gossip, insignificant gossip, which would blow over in a few days. But a small part of her couldn't help but wonder what her actions had escalated into.

She was exhausted by the end of the day. She had a huge headache, and her limbs felt achy and weak. She could also feel a sore throat coming on. She couldn't bear the idea of facing the packed and noisy common room, or the massive pile of homework she had been given that day. That was why instead of heading for Gryffindor tower, she made her way to the seventh floor, and the Room of Requirement.

The door opened to show a small version of the Room, equipped with a comfortable sofa. The Room was warm, but not stuffy, a cool waft of fresh air kept it from being overwhelming.

Victoire curled herself up on the sofa. Her eyelids felt so heavy… if only she could sleep…

She did not know how long she had slept for, only that she woke feeling worse than she had felt before. She was shivering with cold sweat, and wished that there was a blanket. She spotted one, at the end of the sofa, and gladly pulled it over herself, trying to warm up. Her legs ached, and she felt so sleepy.

The next thing she knew, she was boiling hot. Someone, a voice she knew very well, was saying her name.

She tried to look at them, bleary eyed. "What?" she mumbled. It came out as an unintelligible moan.

"We'd better get you to the Hospital Wing."

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

**Hey! I'm back! Hopefully you're all still there. Hope you're all enjoying being back at school, I'm certainly being loaded with homework, hence the lack of writing recently. Thanks for sticking with this story! Especially if you finished this chapter, I know it's not my best.  
**


	29. Chapter 28: Finding Victoire

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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Teddy was enjoying his first day back. It was nice catching up with his friends, and he was surprised that he was actually sort of enjoying the lessons, perhaps with the exception of Potions, which had always been his weak spot.

The one drawback was that he hadn't been able to speak to Victoire, although from glimpses throughout the day, it seemed that it hadn't been a great day for her. It worried Teddy that she looked pale and tired.

His afternoon consisted of two free periods, which he spent in the library, feeling very proud that he managed to make good use of his time and complete his transfiguration homework.

He made his way back to the common room in the half hour he had left until dinner. He spotted Andrew sat by the fire, and made a beeline for him.

"Hey."

"Shh," Andrew said. "Look over there."

Teddy looked where his friend was indicating. Ephraim and Sarah were entwined in an armchair, making it hard to tell whose arms were whose.

"That's one way of avoiding your Charms homework," Teddy commented.

"Yeah. Although Rowlands might not accept that as an excuse."

"True."

"What do you say to a bit of harmlessly embarrassing our buddy?" Andrew asked.

Teddy watched the two teenagers. "Leave them be."  
"You sure?" Andrew said, looking a little surprised.

"Yeah. What's the point?"

"Fair enough. You all right mate? Normally you'd be up for embarrassing our friends."

Teddy sat down. "Yeah fine. I just can't be bothered. Let them be happy, we've only got two terms left, then who knows what's going to happen?"

Andrew was quiet for a moment. "I know. Does it… scare you at all?"

"Does what?"

"You know. Leaving this place. Getting a job and all that. Are you… scared at all?"

"Yeah." Teddy answered honestly. "Yeah it does. And I know what I want to do. So many people have no idea where to go next."

"Yeah, I guess. You still set on being an Auror?"

"Absolutely. I can't think of anything I'd rather do."

"Are you looking forward to the work experience week then?"

"Yeah, I really am. What are you doing again?"

"St. Mungo's."

"Oh yeah."

"It'll probably just be getting coffee and filing paperwork, but it's a step closer to what I want to do."

"Yeah, I guess," Teddy said. "I probably won't be doing much. Harry doesn't know how busy it's going to be that week. But I'm still really looking forward to it."

"Me too."

They were quiet for a little while, both immersed in their own thoughts. Teddy couldn't help but think about what was going to happen in the future. Hopefully he would get the grades to join the Auror department, and from there, begin training to be one of the elite, the wizards dedicated to catching the remaining Dark wizards, and making sure that the peace was kept in the Wizarding world.

He also couldn't help but think that now would be the perfect moment to tell Andrew about himself and Victoire. And yet… he couldn't do it. He didn't understand why, but it was almost like he was scared to tell his friend. He was a little scared of his friend's reaction. Great friends though they were, he felt that they had never really understood his friendship with Victoire. They had always thought it was a bit… uncool to be friends with someone younger than you. He didn't know how they would react when they found out he was dating her. Now that they were all in relationships themselves, maybe they'd be more understanding…

And yet he still didn't say anything. He and Andrew made their way to dinner, still immersed in their own thoughts.

Teddy kept glancing towards Victoire throughout dinner. She looked pale and wasn't eating much, and when she had got tired of moving her food around her plate, she left alone.

It seemed that he was much more aware of her than he had been before. Perhaps it was because he was looking for her, but he always seemed able to sense when she had entered the room.

Which was why he particularly noticed her absence in the common room that evening. Something in the back of Teddy's mind began to worry. He asked Molly and Jenny, but neither of them had seen her since dinner. Jenny even nipped up to their dormitory to check, but no, Victoire wasn't there.

"She seemed a bit funny," Jenny said, looking worried. "Throughout the day, she wasn't quite herself."

This worried Teddy even more. "Maybe… maybe she went to the Hospital Wing, if she wasn't feeling well."

"I don't know… maybe…" Jenny seemed uncertain.

"We should go check," Molly said, joining the conversation, also looking a little worried.

"Yeah, we…" Teddy was just struck with inspiration. Where did Victoire go when she wasn't feeling great? The Room of Requirement.

"You two go check there, I… have another idea as to where she might be."

"Right, well you go check there," Molly said, nodding slightly with understanding.

"What if she isn't there, or at the Hospital Wing?" Jenny asked.

"Hmm. If neither of us find her, meet back outside the portrait hole in half an hour," Teddy instructed. "We'll decide what to do then." The three of them left the common room. Teddy split up with the two girls at the end of the corridor as he made his way to the Room of Requirement. He reached the blank expense of wall where the door had so often materialised for him, and walked up and down three times, thinking _I need a place to be alone_ with all his might. The door opened, and he saw her.

She looked terrible. Her skin was pale, but her cheeks bright red, she was shivering, covered with a thin sheen of sweat, her hair was over her face. Teddy gently pushed it back from her forehead. Her skin was boiling hot.

"Victoire?" he whispered, then said it a bit louder. "Victoire?"

She stirred slightly, and he said her name again. She opened her eyes blearily, and moaned softly in response. She clearly had some sort of flu or something.

"We've got to get you to the Hospital Wing."

She mumbled a protest, which he ignored. "Come on." He pulled the blanket off her.

"I don't want to," she mumbled.

"Victoire, come on. You need to go to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey'll get rid of this in a second, but you need to come with me."

She wasn't going to move. Much less, she really didn't seem up to walking. There was nothing for it. Teddy bent down and tucked one arm under her legs, the other behind her back, and picked her up off the sofa. She was very light in his arms.

"Putmedownandleavemealone," Victoire mumbled.

"Victoire, if this is how I have to get you there then so be it."

She didn't put up much of a fight, leaning her head against his chest. "That's it," he whispered. He turned around, spotting a door that he was fairly sure hadn't been there before. However, this _was_ the Room of Requirement, and so he made his way to the door, Victoire in his arms.

Behind the door was a cool stone passageway, lit by torches in brackets. Teddy made his way along it, slowing down as he reached a steep flight of steps. After a minute or so of steps, Teddy reached what appeared to be the back of a tapestry. It moved backwards before he could work out how to move it aside, and he stepped out into a corridor.

Teddy looked around him. Unless he was much mistaken, he was just around the corner from the Hospital Wing. He continued along the corridor, turning the corner, to see the doors to the Hospital wing, with a very worried Molly and Jenny leaving it.

"Victoire!" Molly cried, running towards them.

"Is she ok?" Jenny asked, her voice full of concern.

"I think she's got flu or something. She needs to see Madam Pomfrey."

Molly ran to get the door, and Teddy carried Victoire in.

"Oh, is this the girl you were looking for?" Madam Pomfrey asked, making her way over. Molly nodded. "Hmm yes, definitely got a temperature," she said, laying her hand on Victoire's forehead. "Put her on that bed there, gently does it. Hmm," Madam Pomfrey began checking Victoire over. Teddy, Molly and Jenny watched, looking worried.

"Right, nothing to worry about. Just a nasty flu, I'm sure she won't be the last. Nothing a strong Pepperup Potion and a night or two of rest won't cure." She turned around, and, correctly interpreting their worried expressions, said, "She's going to be fine."

Teddy relaxed slightly. "Good," he said. "When'll she be out of the Hospital Wing?"

"Hopefully in a couple of days. Now, I'm afraid I need you all to leave-"

"Teddy?" The voice was faint, the word mumbled, yet unmistakable.

"Vic?" Teddy walked over to the small figure on the bed. Her eyes were open, and when he came into view, they focused on him.

"Teddy, I don't feel well," she mumbled.

"It's ok," he whispered, kneeling next to her and taking her boiling hand in his. "You're in the hospital, Madam Pomfrey'll make you better. You'll be fine."

Victoire looked directly at him, her striking blue eyes gazing directly into his. "Don't leave me," she whispered, clutching his hand tightly.

"I… I won't," he whispered. He turned his head. "Please?" he asked Madam Pomfrey. "Let me stay with her? At least until she falls asleep?"

Madam Pomfrey looked mildly disapproving, but something seemed to soften in her gaze as she looked at the young pair. "All right. Until she falls asleep. But stay out of the way." She turned to usher the other two out, Molly looking slightly less worried, and more smug, and Jenny watching Teddy and Victoire with confusion, bordering on suspicion.

"I'll be back soon," Teddy promised, feeling guilty that neither of them had been allowed to stay behind, yet at the same time, pleased that Victoire had chosen him.

"You're not leaving are you?" Victoire asked him.

"No," Teddy whispered. "I'm right here." He pressed his lips to her burning forehead.

Teddy rather felt that Madam Pomfrey spoiled the moment by bustling up to them with a steaming glass of Pepperup Potion. "Now dear, drink this up."

"Idonwanto," Victoire mumbled, burying her head in the pillow.

"Come on Vic, you need to." Victoire mumbled something unintelligible into the pillow. "Please? For me?" She looked up at this. Teddy pressed home his advantage. "Please?" He helped her sit up, and reached for the glass from Madam Pomfrey, who handed it to him with a knowing smile. He held it up to her mouth, and gently poured some down her throat.

She pulled away. "It's hot," she coughed.

"Just a little bit more," he said, tipping the cup back, so that she had to drink the steaming potion. She coughed a little, but didn't put up a fight. Steam began to issue from her ears, and she sighed slightly.

"Teddy," she whispered. "I feel all tired."

"Then go to sleep," he whispered, kissing her forehead. Victoire blinked sleepily and lay down against her pillow, closing her eyes. She was asleep within seconds.

Teddy sat there, holding her hand, watching her as she slept.

"Come along now," Madam Pomfrey said, bustling over. She won't wake up until morning, you'd best be back to your dormitory."

Teddy nodded, and extracted his hand from Victoire's boiling hot grasp, and walked towards the door, barely daring to take one last glance before leaving.

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

**It is I! Back from the dead! So yeah, that was a bit fluffly. Sorry that it's been almost two weeks since I updated, I know it's a cliche but I really have been too busy to write much recently. Thanks for sticking with me! I hope it's not getting too slow.  
**


	30. Chapter 29: A Proper Girly Chat

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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When Victoire woke up, it wasn't in the way that sometimes happens, where you feel instantly alert, and ready to get up and face the cold air away from the comfort of your blanket. It was the way in which you aren't quite sure what time it is, or whether you really are awake, and you simply lie still in order to make the delicious sleepy feeling last just that little bit longer.

It was warm in that bed in the Hospital Wing, and Victoire lay with her eyes closed. As she became more awake, and her senses became more focused, she performed a quick check of her body. Her head was no longer pounding and her limbs felt normal. She wasn't shivering, or sweating, or boiling hot. She felt completely normal. Tired, sleepy, but not ill.

A noise, a rustling, paper noise, to her left made her aware of a surrounding outside of the world of pillows and blankets in which she had found herself. She turned her head, and, after a little effort, opened her eyes.

The room was the colour of dusk, the orangey pink sunset flowing through the tall windows. A few other beds on Victoire's side of the Hospital Wing were occupied, and Madam Pomfrey was making her way around the beds. Victoire, however, didn't notice any of this. All she could take in was the figure sitting on the unoccupied bed next to her.

Teddy was absent-mindedly turning a page of the _Evening Prophet_, his hair a nondescript sea-green, and a stubble of the same colour shadowed his jaw. He looked up and saw her watching him.

"Hey there," he said.

"Hi," she croaked. Her voice cracked with lack of use.

"You look better," Teddy commented, closing the newspaper.

"How long was I out for?" Victoire asked.

"Just a day. Madam Pomfrey'll let you out tomorrow evening."

"Good. I don't want to miss anything."

"Jenny said she'll give you the work you missed."

"Good." She was quiet for a minute. "I don't really remember much from last night. I can't really tell what was real and what was just a really weird dream."

Teddy chuckled. "Well, I don't know how long you were there for, but I found you in the Room of Requirement… and you clearly weren't right. You didn't really want to leave but I carried you here. And… that's it."

"Oh Godric… I think I remember… Oh Godric… I asked you to stay with me didn't I?"

Teddy smiled. "It was very sweet."

"Oh _Godric_," she muttered, putting her face in her hands. "And… oh no, were Molly and Jenny there?"

Teddy nodded.

"But Jenny doesn't know! About us!"

"Calm down. She does now." Teddy looked slightly apologetic.

"She-what?"

"I'm really sorry. I know you wanted to tell her yourself. But after I got back from the Hospital Wing yesterday, she asked me. It… it didn't make sense to lie. I made sure that she knew that you wanted to tell her, but clearly hadn't found the right moment."

"Oh… thanks… I guess."

"I'm really sorry. I told her that I'd let her know when you were awake so you two could talk about it… I just… thought you'd prefer that she know rather than think you lied to her."

She had to admit it made sense. There was nothing she could do about the twinge of regret in her heart. "It's ok. You're right, I'd rather she know."

"She said she understood why you hadn't told her. Shall I go and get her now?"

"Yeah… ok," Victoire said. He might as well. Teddy got up, passed her his newspaper, then left the Hospital Wing. Victoire skimmed through the paper idly, keeping an eye on the door.

Finally the oak doors swung open, and her dark-haired friend walked in.

"Hey," Jenny said, crossing the Hospital Wing, and sitting down on the bed that Teddy had so recently vacated.

"Hey," Victoire said. There was an awkward silence, then both girls spoke at once.

"You go first," Jenny said.

"Ok… Look, I'm so sorry that you didn't hear about Teddy and me from me. That's really not how I wanted it to happen, I really did want to tell you myself, I just couldn't find a moment to do it without Felicity and her minions all listening in."

Jenny grinned. "It's ok. I always knew it would happen anyway. You guys are so perfect for each other. And Teddy made it clear that you did want to tell me yourself. I do understand."

"Thanks," Victoire said. "For being so understanding."

"That's ok," Jenny said. "I am your friend after all."

Victoire realised that she and Jenny hadn't really had a proper, girly chat since before Christmas. "How're things with you and Joseph?"

Jenny blushed a little. "I don't know. The Yule Ball was fun, we both had a really good time."

"Oh my Godric, tell me all," Victoire said, sitting herself up straighter.

Jenny laughed, and sat herself on Victoire's bed, so that she was able to speak quieter. "We talked a lot… just about stuff… any old stuff… and when we've talked before it's been really… nice, and I've enjoyed it, and I look forward to talking to him again. And at the end of the night he kissed me."

Victoire squealed, earning herself a reproving glare from Madam Pomfrey. "Merlin's pants! You are a dark horse! How was it?"

"Really nice… I was a bit worried, that I wasn't any good, but in the end I just let myself enjoy it and it was fine."

"That's great Jenny!"

"And we wrote a couple of times during the holidays."

Victoire smiled. She couldn't think of anyone who deserved that kind of relationship more than Jenny. She scrutinised her carefully. Her hair was neat, pinned back in a bun today, and although perhaps her nose was too big for classical beauty, the eyes that hid behind her glasses were large and brown, framed by thick lashes. And there was something more to her, one could tell just by looking. A kindness, which would draw a person to her more surely than looks ever could.

"I'm really happy for you Jenny," she said, meaning it.

"Thanks," Jenny said, blushing. "But enough about me. Tell me everything about you and Teddy!"

Victoire willingly obliged, recounting the story of her Christmas, right from what happened with the Yule Ball, to the kiss at Christmas, finishing with what happened at New Year.

"You are so lucky!" Jenny sighed.

"Look at us," Victoire said. "At the beginning of the year, there we were, not a boyfriend between us. Now look. We're both happily hitched, and Felicity is single!"

They both laughed, and were interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.

"Come on now, it's time to be getting back to your dormitory, it's getting late."

Jenny nodded, stood up and left the Hospital Wing. "See you tomorrow."

"See you and… thanks."

Jenny smiled. "No problem."

* * *

The next few weeks passed in a haze of schoolwork, Quidditch and secrecy. Winter still refused to loosen its grip upon the castle for some time after term was resumed, and every Quidditch practice and Care of Magical Creatures lesson was introduced by chilly, biting winds. Victoire was absorbed by the vast amounts of homework her teachers were setting, and on top of that, Teddy was also scheduling Quidditch practices twice during the week, and every Saturday morning, and was working the team ridiculously hard.

Victoire couldn't decide whether she was pleased or not that Felicity had decided to stay on the team after her little… misunderstanding with Teddy. On the one hand, she had to put up with Felicity making eyes at her boyfriend, and trying to attract his attention, all the while acting as though she couldn't care less about him. And there was nothing that Victoire could do because, as far as Felicity knew, there was nothing going on between herself and Teddy, and she would prefer to keep it that way. But on the other hand, she really was a great chaser, and the team was shaping up to be a serious contender for the Quidditch Cup.

However, Victoire always looked forward to Quidditch practices, despite Felicity's presence. Not only was it great to get a break from studying, exhilarating to feel the wind in her hair, and normally a good laugh anyway, but after the practices, Victoire and Teddy would often mysteriously disappear for a little while, under the pretence of going to the library or the kitchens. Mostly they sat in the Room of Requirement, sometimes talking, more often not. They knew they couldn't spend long together, otherwise people would start to notice their disappearance.

Victoire didn't know why she felt the need to keep the relationship secret from the general population at Hogwarts. It would certainly stop Felicity's snide comments about her lack of boyfriend, possibly even stop the majority of hormonal boys from staring at her when they thought she wasn't looking, and _definitely _give Selkirk a good shock. (Victoire had still yet to have a proper, public revenge on him for being such an O-grade prat at the Yule Ball… and she still hadn't ruled out a good Bat Bogey hex next time his back was turned..)

And yet still neither of them wanted to make it public. Victoire was perfectly happy to have only her close friends in the know. She couldn't quite face the concept of telling her family just yet. She just knew it would lead to a serious discussion, the kind she would normally prefer to avoid. And she assumed Teddy must have his own reasons for not wanting to tell people. He would have told her if he felt otherwise.

So on the whole, Victoire felt happy, happier than she had in a long time. The only thing which was really getting her down was the fact that she had so much homework that she didn't really have much time to see Teddy, and vice versa. However, this was the only dark spot, and as January merged into February, and the normal routines of school life were set back in motion.

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

**Hope you're all enjoying a lovely October. Thank you for your constant reviews and follows and favourites. It's so nice to know that you're reading it.  
**

**So I decided to put a bit of a time lapse here. I don't want it to get boring, and I don't want to get bored of it. Coming up is Teddy's Work Experience in the Auror department, and possibly even some Valentine's Day fluff!  
**

**Also, I'm on Twitter, so feel free to follow. My name is RoLouG.  
**


	31. Chapter 30: An Argument

**J.K. Rowling owns.  
**

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Teddy

February passed with little of note. Teddy and Victoire spent their first Valentine's day as a sort-of couple in the Room of Requirement, the only place which gave them a modicum of privacy, that didn't involve freezing to death in the harsh February air. The Room even managed to decorate itself for the occasion, with pink paper hearts and banners. The day before there had been a Hogsmeade visit, but Teddy had been unable to go, due to an enormous essay for Potions. He felt bad that he hadn't been able to go with Victoire, but she didn't seem to mind all that much. She had spent the day with her cousins instead, but he couldn't help but feel that he was being an inadequate boyfriend.

And still he wanted to keep the relationship quiet. He didn't understand why entirely, only that too much was changing, and he couldn't keep up with it. Despite having some form of a plan in mind, he still couldn't manage to comprehend a future outside of the four walls of Hogwarts. It was all he had really known as a world outside of the suburban house where he had grown up, it was where he had lived for the vast majority of the last seven years. He had always assumed that by the time he reached seventh year, he'd know everything there was to know, but as the time to leave inched closer, he only felt surer that he didn't know anything at all.

And so he channelled his efforts into schoolwork and Quidditch practise, in which there was plenty of opportunity to hide. He was also really looking forward to his Work Experience with Harry, whom he missed almost as much as his Grandmother. The week was due to start at the end of February.

Needless to say, his Quidditch team were not particularly impressed that they were losing their team captain just two weeks before the match. There was also some unrest from certain members about Teddy's decision for the practices taking place during his week's absence.

"Right listen up team," he addressed them one rainy Thursday evening, just two days before he left. "Obviously next week I won't be here, but we can't afford to miss the practices that week, it's too close to the match. So for that week I'm appointing Victoire as temporary captain."

"What?" Felicity's voice was louder than the others. Teddy sighed. He was not in the best mood with Felicity. She still hadn't forgiven him forgiven him for the kiss, despite the fact that it had been entirely her own fault. He couldn't believe that he'd encouraged her. However she'd taken any excuse to be grumpy and rude to him, whilst staring at him whilst she thought he wasn't looking.

However he attempted to continue with at least the appearance of patience. "Well, she'll be overseeing the practise. Mostly you'll just do your own thing, but we need some form of authority, just in case."

"Yeah, but, why her?" Felicity persisted. "I mean, Abby's senior member after you, why isn't she doing it?"

"I haven't got a problem…" Abigail started, but Felicity cut her off.

"It's favouritism, that's what it is! Personally, I don't think it's fair!"

"Victoire's better than me," Abigail said, "I think it's perfectly fair. Besides it's only for, what, two practices?"

"But-"

"Leave it Felicity," Phillip advised.

"Thank you Phillip," Teddy said, rattled. He knew that keeping Felicity was best for the team. _Think of the team, Teddy, think of the team. We can win this. Just keep your temper._ He was aware that his emotions were probably showing, despite his attempts to stay in control. He was sick of Felicity. The only thing keeping her on the team was her skill as a chaser.

"Now, I've rescheduled Saturday afternoon's practice to ten o'clock, don't complain! I leave in the afternoon, so I might as well make sure I can be there. Victoire will manage the practices on Tuesday and Thursday and report back to me."

He turned to Victoire, who had been silent throughout the argument. Her normally unblemished skin was slightly pink with embarrassment, and she was avoiding eye contact. "Think you can manage it?" he asked her quietly.

Something in her face seemed to resolve, and she looked up and nodded. "Yeah."

He addressed the team once more. "You're all flying brilliantly, and if you keep up the excellent work, we've got every chance of winning this tournament easily. Don't let this faze you, just keep going over what we've been practising these last few sessions. Right, let's hit the changing rooms."

"You probably won't need to do much," he told her, as they hung back to put the ball crate back in the storeroom. "It's just we need someone in control, and I know you won't let Felicity take over and mess around the whole time."

"Why me though?" Victoire asked. She seemed quiet, pensive.

"Well, you're the best player on the team, and you've been here a while, you know how things work."

"But… well, Abby's the oldest, and I'm not _that_ much better than her…"

Teddy was confused. He'd expected her to be overjoyed at the opportunity. It'd be good practise for when she was captaining the team herself, possibly as soon as next year. Why did she seem upset? "What's wrong Vic?" he asked.

"I was just… I mean…" Victoire seemed awkward, as though unsure how to articulate what she wanted to convey. "You didn't pick me because of… you know… us?"

"No!" Teddy was shocked that she'd even think that about him! He would never show favouritism like that! His temper, already having been taken too close to boiling over, surged up again. "I picked you because you're the best we've got! Not because we're dating or whatever the hell is going on!"

"What do you mean? I thought you didn't want to tell people!"

"I don't it's just…" Teddy made a frustrated noise, running his hand through his hair, and turning away so he wouldn't have to see the hurt look on her face. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't know why I said that."

"I'm happy not to tell people for the moment, but only because I thought it's what you wanted too! If you want to let the student population know, then feel free! It's not like _I've_ got anything to be embarrassed about!"

Teddy whipped round. He was more than a bit annoyed now, she was completely overreacting. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you still haven't bothered to tell Andrew about me, even though we both agreed you would! I told Jenny and Molly, and Dom knows as well, because it was what we both decided! But you still haven't plucked up the courage to let your best friend know, and I can't quite help wondering why that is!" She was close to tears, her face red, but this time from anger rather than embarrassment.

"I just haven't… there hasn't… it's not a good time right now! So much is going on and we aren't really as close as you and your friends are… it's completely different!"  
"So it's not that you're ashamed then?"

"What?! Why would I be ashamed? What is there to be ashamed of?" How could she even think that?

"You tell me! There must be something. Is it that I'm younger than you? You always found that a bit awkward didn't you? Your friends never quite understood that we were friends."

"Don't be stupid-" Teddy knew instantly that it was the wrong thing to say.

"Now you're saying I'm stupid?"

"No, Godric, I didn't mean-" How was this happening? It was all so clichéd!

"Sorry my intelligence isn't _quite_ up to NEWT standard! I'll remember to listen harder in Transfiguration next week!" And with that she stormed out, a deep rumble of thunder accentuating the slam of the door.

Teddy sank to the ground, running his hand through his hair. He had handled the situation very badly. But she had completely misunderstood him! Completely overreacted. Girls just didn't make sense sometimes.

He supposed that she was feeling the strain of keeping their relationship a secret. He felt guilty that she was not saying anything because of him. After all, he supposed she was right. She had nothing to be ashamed of. Even his best friend had never really understood his friendship with Victoire. How would Andrew react if he found out that they were dating? Teddy didn't like to think about it.

He sighed and stood up. Yes, Victoire had overreacted, but it was mostly his fault. It was his fault they were keeping it quiet, and that seemed to lie at the root of the problem. He didn't know what he was going to do about it, but he knew he needed to start with an apology.

He made his way out of the changing room into the biting rain lashing down outside. By the time he had reached the castle, he resembled a drowned rat, but he didn't even bother to attempt the drying spell. He just needed to find Victoire.

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**Yeah, so again, I apologize for the huge gap between chapters, and for this one being so short. It's not like, you know, I've had masses of homework, or really important music exams...  
**

**I'm sorry that this is posted so irregularly, I really do miss having unlimited time to write and I miss all your kind reviews. The next chapter? It'll be up when it's written.  
**

**Thankyou to everyone who is sticking with me. I know it's dragging, hopefully there'll be some more excitement soon. Hopefully.  
**


	32. Chapter 31: More-than-Friends Again

**J.K. Rowling owns. Please read my A.N. at the end, it's important.  
**

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

Victoire

She knew she had overreacted. But then again, so had he! It was all just so confusing.

She didn't want to go straight back to the common room, where she'd have to face the possibly resentful stares of her fellow team-mates, but she knew it was the only option. It was the best way of convincing her friends that nothing was wrong.

So she dried her eyes, nipping into a girls toilets to quickly splash her face, and walked back into the common room, where she immediately spotted Jenny sitting in a corner on her own, immersed in their transfiguration homework. She ran upstairs to grab her bag and change out of her rain-soaked clothes, and sat down next to Jenny. Her friend looked up briefly, then did a double take. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she said quickly.

"Are you sure?"

"I just… don't want to talk about it," Victoire said honestly. "But I do really need help with this essay…" She looked at her friend pleadingly.

Jenny's eyes narrowed, but she handed Victoire a piece of parchment covered in her neat handwriting. "These are the notes I made for the introduction," she said. "You know the revision guide was actually really helpful…"

Victoire managed to immerse herself in work for a good twenty minutes, until someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to see Teddy, soaking wet, standing behind her.

"Can we talk?" he asked quietly.

Victoire was about to get up, when she stopped. So all the secrecy was the root of the problem. "If you've got something to say, say it right here," she said.

"Really? Here?"

"Yep. Jenny knows about us, and you know what? I'm quite comfortable sitting right here, and really _really _don't want to move."

Teddy looked confused, and a little apprehensive. Victoire wondered if she might have overdone it on the 'Keeping it Cool' front, but held her ground. Teddy knelt down so that he was level with her, and she had no excuse not to look at him.

"Um, ok. Well. Look, I just wanted to say… I'm really _really _sorry for what I said back in the changing rooms, it was completely uncalled for, and I don't blame you for getting upset with me, you had every right to be. It's all my fault and-"

But Victoire cut him of the only way she knew how, by pulling his face to hers and kissing him. She didn't care that the whole common room might be watching. _Let them _watch, she thought.

He seemed to want to keep it going, but Victoire pulled back. "It was my fault too. I overreacted, when you were just giving me an amazing opportunity. And I am really grateful for it."

"So are we… good?

"I think so." Victoire smiled.

"Well… there's now the issue that about half the common room probably saw that… but I don't think there's any reason to see that as an issue, do you?"

Victoire smiled. "None whatsoever. Now, you'd best go get some work done."

"Right. Yeah. Deal with the press… although now I come to think about it, I doubt anyone will really care that much…" And he left. Victoire glanced around. She didn't see anyone looking their way, and wondered if it had gone unnoticed. But then she saw Teddy sit down with his friends, and saw them immediately start bombarding him with questions.

"Not completely unnoticed then," Jenny commented. Victoire turned around, and saw her best friend watching Teddy.

"No," Victoire giggled, turning back to her homework. "Jenny… do you think that was the right thing to do?"

Jenny grinned and gestured to somewhere behind Victoire. She turned around and saw Felicity staring at Teddy, her expression best suited to someone about to throw a tantrum. "Absolutely," Jenny laughed.

* * *

The news that two more students at Hogwarts had been taken 'off the market' as it were, took a while to spread. Longer than it normally did in any case. It was the weekend before the news finally sunk in. The two students in question had reached an unspoken decision to just let people find out for themselves. They didn't flaunt it, there were no huge 'in-front-of-the-whole-school' demonstrations. They just acted as a boyfriend and girlfriend would act, and watched with laughter as people put two and two together.

Victoire was fairly sure that it was the right decision. No-one seemed to care that much, which was a huge relief. Nobody seemed particularly surprised. After all, it had only been a matter of time. Most people at Hogwarts appeared incapable of imagining a boy and girl being friends without it being romantic. And maybe this was because it didn't happen all that often. Sure, she had to endure the odd vicious stare-down with seventh year girls in the toilets. But it was entirely worth it.

Dealing with her family, however, was a whole different story. The reactions varied. Fred couldn't stop laughing, and Victoire had to be very fierce to prevent him from telling her parents. She still wanted to do that herself. Lucy and Roxie both cooed and sighed, and seemed thrilled. Louis seemed unsurprised.

"Well, _yeah_, it was totally obvious," he said. "We've known him how long now?"

"Right," Victoire said. "Well, you are _not _to tell Mum and Dad, or James or anyone, understood? I flatter myself that I have enough blackmail material on you to prevent that. Otherwise, James might just have to find out about all the games of dress-up when we were younger."

"You wouldn't…" Louis looked horrified.

"Then keep your mouth shut until I tell you otherwise, darling brother."

* * *

Saturday morning's practise went well. Everyone seemed on good form. Victoire paid special attention to how Teddy handled the team, hoping to pick up tips, and tried to ignore the evil glares Felicity was throwing her way.

After the practise, the team showered, and went for lunch. Then it was time to say goodbye to Teddy. Victoire convinced herself it wouldn't be that hard without him. After all, it was only for a week! She'd have to go much longer without him next year when… but that was next year.

They walked towards Professor Longbottom's office. There was already a small queue of students waiting to use the Floo connection to go to their work placements. The queue moved quickly and in less than five minutes, only Teddy and Victoire were left in the corridor.

"Take care of yourself," Victoire said, reaching up and hugging him. "We need you in one piece."

Teddy laughed. "I suppose it'll be hard to have a Quidditch match without the Captain."

"That's true," Victoire said, pulling out of the hug. "But that's not all. _I _need you in one piece. For me."

"I'll be fine!" Teddy said. "Harry wouldn't let me get in trouble. Besides, it's highly unlikely that anything exciting will happen. I'll probably be sitting in an office for a week learning how to file things."

"I know. And you can handle yourself," Victoire said.

"Teddy," Professor Longbottom called from his office. "We're ready for you now!"

Victoire reached up and kissed him gently on the lips. "I mean it. Take care."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

And with that Teddy picked up his bag, and walked through the door.

* * *

The common room felt strangely empty without the seventh years. Victoire sat a while with Molly and her friends, before acknowledging that she really ought to do some work, and going to the library. There she found Jenny and a few friends from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. She managed to get some more work done, but it was hard to ignore the feeling that she was being watched. Looking up she saw a posse of sixth year girls giving her looks that could kill. Victoire sighed. Honestly, you'd think she'd murdered someone, or at the very least committed some other crime, rather than date a guy.

Sunday passed much the same way, and then it was time for lessons again. Victoire kept working hard, but the whole time she could feel a nervous weight on her stomach, and that weight was tomorrow's Quidditch practise. She couldn't help worrying. What if no one acknowledged her authority? What if she didn't know what to do? What if, what if what if?

However, Tuesday afternoon came around, and Victoire, trembling slightly, began to make her way down to the pitch. She was just in the Entrance Hall, when a voice called her name.

"Hey, Victoire! Wait up!" She turned. Phillip was running down the stairs. She waited for him to catch up, and they walked out into the grounds together.

"Look, Victoire," Phillip said, when they had left the Entrance Hall. "Don't listen to what Felicity says. She's just jealous of you."

Victoire smiled. "Thanks."

"The rest of us, the team, we all think Teddy made the right choice in making you temporary captain," Phillip continued. "You're better than any of the rest of us, and everyone is willing to listen and do what you say these next couple of practises. So if she starts being a bitch, we're all behind you, and supporting you. Believe me, she can only make herself look bad."

Victoire was touched. It was nice to know that she had the support and approval of her teammates. They were a brilliant bunch of friends. "Thanks Phil. I really appreciate you saying so."

"No problem." They spent the rest of the walk in silence.

In the changing rooms, Victoire pulled on her Quidditch robes, and tied her hair back into a ponytail. The rest of the team came in in dribs and drabs, and finally the whole group was assembled.

"Right you guys," Victoire called them to attention. "So this is going to function as a normal practise, so we'll start with a few passing exercises to warm up, then go from there. Phil, help me carry the ball crate out. Rest of you, on your brooms and in the air."

It felt strange giving instructions, but what was even stranger was seeing them followed, without complaint, even from Felicity (although she didn't seem happy about it). Once on the pitch, Victoire grabbed the Quaffle from the crate, hopped on her broom and kicked off, shooting up into the air.

"Right, get yourselves in a circle!" she called, watching as Fred and Millie, who had been dive-bombing one another, stopped mucking around and did as she asked. She felt strangely powerful, watching her instructions followed. "Right. Let's go." She threw the ball to Abigail, who passed to Phillip, who passed across the circle to Fred, who reverse passed to Millie, who passed to Felicity, who threw it so hard at Victoire that it left a red mark on her hands when she caught it. She was tempted to tell her off, but ignored it. However, she saw Abigail and Phillip glaring at Felicity. Victoire passed on.

After ten minutes of passing exercises, Victoire called the team together. "Right," she said nervously. "I think it would probably be best if we worked independently for the next hour or so, and we can have a mock game next practise. Now, Teddy left me some instructions on what to do. Chasers, as there's not an awful lot you can do without Teddy, and he's happy with your progress, he said it would be best if you practised with Phillip. Do the Lorenski exercise we did a few weeks back. I know it'll be hard with only two of you but do your best." Phillip and Abigail nodded, (Felicity just glowered), and Victoire threw the Quaffle to Abigail.

She then turned to the Beaters. "Beaters, Teddy told me that you need to work a little on your aim. Fred, let out just the one bludger. Millie, help me get the targets out. Off you go then!"

The chasers flew towards a goalpost and set up a circuit, one chaser aiming at Phillip's goal. Phillip would try to save, then throw the ball down the pitch to the other chaser waiting about halfway down the pitch. This not only allowed Phillip to practise saving, but also allowed them to practise the vital long distance throws that might allow them a chance of getting the ball back in possession, should the other team score.

Victoire helped Millie lug out the two large wooden targets that were used for accuracy. Their aim was to hit the small red circle in the middle. What made it harder was that the targets were moving.

Victoire watched happily as the team practised. It was good to see them working so efficiently. After half an hour, she called them into a circle, and switched exercises. All in all, she was pleased with the behaviour, and it was a reasonably happy team that made it's way to the showers after the practise.

"Well done all of you, you worked really well. Thanks for your co-operation. I know it's difficult without our proper captain, but you all did really well, Teddy will be really pleased!"

"Here's to beating Hufflepuff!" Fred shouted, and the team cheered. Victoire grinned, and the team left the changing rooms looking very pleased with themselves. Victoire turned around and finished folding her Quidditch robes, and pulled on her sweater. A voice startled her.

"He only picked you 'cause you're dating."

Victoire closed her eyes. This was what she'd been dreading all along, wasn't it? This confrontation.

"You think you're all important now, don't you?" Felicity continued. "Now that the Captain's got you all picked out as his favourite? Well, you aren't even that good. Any idiot can see that."

Victoire turned around. "Why are you doing this Felicity?" she asked calmly. She was surprised how easily Felicity's insults slid off her. They were the unintelligent, random rants of a bitter, jealous person, and couldn't take root in her mind, couldn't hurt her.

"Because someone needs to show you that you aren't the queen of everything! You think having this popular new boyfriend makes you all important."

"Felicity, I have never felt or acted that way. I don't think I'm the queen of anything, that's just ridiculous.

"Nobody really likes you," Felicity said viciously. "I mean come on. All the guys just think you're easy and look pretty. But you aren't even that pretty are you! I mean, it's probably just some Veela spell that you cast on everyone to make them _think_ you're pretty."

Victoire was amazed. Really. If there was one thing she didn't really, honestly care about, it was her looks. Only a looks-obsessed person like Felicity could think that these lame attempts at insults could hurt her.

"So how did you manage to snag Lupin then? Did you promise him a shag or something? Come on, I'm sure we can all learn from your _success._"

That was enough. Victoire could tell that Felicity was hurting. That maybe she'd really liked Teddy. But this was too much. Victoire wasn't hurt by any of those remarks, (well, maybe that last one, a little bit) but they were making her angry. And Victoire knew that when she was angry she wasn't always a nice person.

"Listen up, Felicity, because I'm only going to say this once. _He picked me._ Not you. _Me_. I mean, you _threw_ yourself at him, and he still didn't want you!" She laughed. It felt so nice, after four years of pretending to like this girl, to be able to be honest. Four years of bitchy remarks, four years of comments that stung, of feeling insecure because of the girl standing in front of her. But looking at the girl stood in front of her, who looked close to tears, she stopped. She already regretted her petty remarks. Not that they were undeserved, but now that she really saw Felicity, she was seized by compassion.

"What happened to you, Felicity? What happened to make you so intent on making everyone else unhappy? Why are you so insecure within yourself that you have to be so mean to everyone else? You are beautiful, and fun, and smart, and a really good chaser, and could easily have any guy you wanted in this school! So why do you feel the need to put me down?"

Felicity started crying. "Because, everywhere I go, I have to compete with you! Everyone fancies you, and the only way I can get anyone to notice me is by being the slutty one!"

"Oh Felicity," Victoire said, sitting down and putting her arm around her. "I've never wanted to be in competition with you! And you don't ever need to be the 'slutty one'. If that's the only way you can get guys to like you, then they really aren't worth knowing."

"But how else am I supposed to do it? "

"Talk to them. It does work you know. Just because it didn't with Teddy, doesn't mean it won't with anyone else. You're a smart girl and you know how to talk to guys, which is something I haven't got a clue about. So don't ever feel like you're in competition with me. But I really like Teddy and that isn't going to change any time soon. So can you please just let us be happy?"

Felicity wiped her eyes. "Don't tell anyone about this, ok?"

"Understood. And you can go back to being mean to me, or whatever you like. But just know that if you need to chat, I will listen."

"Thanks. I probably won't."

"I know. But if you do." Victoire got up and left the changing rooms. She knew her advice probably wouldn't be followed, but it was nice to get the scary confrontation over.

* * *

Wednesday was uneventful. Felicity was back to her usual self, but Victoire noticed that the barbed comments were held back a little more than normal. Thursdays practise was excellent, and Victoire was really pleased. Everything had gone really well, and she was looking forward to telling Teddy all about it at the weekend.

She entered the common room laughing with Fred, and together they walked over to where, unusually, most of the family were sitting together. Molly looked up, and Victoire immediately noticed that something was wrong.

"What's happened?" she asked quickly, glancing at Dom, who was sitting with her head in her hands. "What's wrong?"

"Victoire," Molly said quietly, putting her arms around her. "There's been an accident."

"What?" Fred panicked. "Was it the shop? Was it Dad?" It wouldn't be the first time there had been a mishap in the inventing process, but it hadn't happened for years.

"No… it's Teddy. He… got hurt."

After that everything was black.

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

**I can only repeat how sorry I am that this has taken so long. School's just been completely overwhelming, and the lead up to Christmas is mental at the best of times. I had one week where I had a concert, or a rehearsal or a course every day. So I'm really sorry that it's taken me so long to write this. **

**However, for your inhuman patience, I reward you with what is officially the longest chapter I have ever written. I'm sorry if it's a little distracted. I've been wanting to get to the next chapter for a long time. Hopefully it'll be worth the wait.  
**

**But at the same time I think I needed a break. I felt, and I'm not the only one, that the past few chapters have been really boring, and not much has happened. I didn't really enjoy writing them, and it became like a chore for me to get my laptop out and write just a few sentences. Nothing was happening, and I think the fact that I didn't enjoy writing them showed. I think it's actually good for me to take a break and come back to it.  
**

**And now for the thanks. Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed, favourited and followed. It means so much to me, even if I don't always show it. I read every single one of your reviews, they mean the world to me, so thank you for taking the time to write them.  
**

**I also have one huge thanks. I don't always single out specific people, but in this case it's sort of necessary, since I can't reply in person. Thank you to the wonderful AliCat for their amazing and inspiring review. It was posted last night, and when I got it this morning, I was so inspired to write more, that I wrote this entire chapter. So thank you for your amazing words AliCat. They were very much appreciated.  
**

**Thanks again to everyone who's stuck with this story, and still reading it. I'm sorry again at how long this has taken for me to actually sit down and write. So thank you again and again. I can't say how grateful I am, no matter how much I repeat my thanks.  
**

**When will the next chapter be? Well, I didn't mean for this break to go on so long. But it did, and it was needed. So next chapter will be when I post it. Could be in a week. Could be months. (I will try not to leave it that long.)  
**

**Now all that's left is for me to hope you had a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate) a wonderful holiday season, and wish you a (slightly late) happy New Year! Until the next time!  
**


	33. Chapter 32: Part 1 - A Day at the Office

**This is the first half of chapter 32! The next part is more complicated and will take more time to write! (more A/N at the end)**

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

Teddy

"And this is my office," Harry said, leading Teddy into a large room at the end of the row of cubicles. On one wall was an enormous map, with the odd glowing red pin in in it, and a door, leading to what looked like a cupboard. Another wall was taken over completely by filing cabinets, that stretched across the entire length of the wall, and reached right up to the ceiling. Harry's desk was just in front of the wall opposite the door, so that he would be facing whoever came in. When Teddy turned around he saw that the wall surrounding the door was filled with pictures and names, some of which Teddy knew. Known Death Eaters.

Harry had sat down behind the cluttered desk. The window behind him showed a brilliantly sunny day, quite unlike the one Teddy had left outside the Potter's house. He smiled to see the picture of himself and Harry, James and Albus, taken that very summer up a mountain in Scotland. He watched himself wave out of the frame, while at the same time preventing James from trying to jump off a crop of rocks. There was another family portrait of the five Potters, and then his favourite picture, of all the Weasley cousins and himself that he had on his bedside table at home.

"I'm sorry if this week isn't particularly interesting for you Teddy," Harry said. It'll probably just be filing reports, though you might get to sit in on a minor trial, and that's if you're extremely lucky." However, a shadow seemed to cross his face, and Teddy knew then that his godfather was not being entirely honest with him.

"That's fine," Teddy said. "Thanks again for letting me come here with you." After all, if Harry was lying to him, or not telling the whole truth, he knew from past experience that he would have a very good reason.

"Anything to get you a head start," Harry said, his face clearing as he grinned. "You're lucky. I know loads of people who've got kids joining their departments for the week, but you're the only one in the Auror department."

"Guess it does help to have a high-ranking Godfather then!"

Harry laughed. "However, it won't get you out of doing the work." He reached under his desk and pulled out a sheaf of yellowing parchment almost a foot thick. "Time for you to get acquainted with my lovely friends, the filing cabinets. These are reports from some of the more recent trials that only just came through from Magical Law Enforcement. Feel free to have a read if you like, then stick them in at the back of the right files so they're in chronological order. If you have anyone who doesn't have a file, there are spare ones in the cupboard over there. Shout if you need anything."

Teddy set to work. It was a little dull, but he entertained himself by reading the transcripts, although it was slightly horrible, reading the names of people who had been murdered or hurt by those on trial.

He was slotting in a sheaf of paper into a file in the D section, when he saw a scribbled note on one of the files in the cabinet. A name he had grown up hearing, but never really understood its significance to him until a few years ago.

With trembling hands, he pulled out Antonin Dolohov's thick file and sat down. The parchment in his hands smelled of age and dust, a paler colour and fresher ink marking those which had been written more recently. The opening page showed a picture of his haugty profile, a fading stamp declaring him a _Known Death Eater_, another, fresher one declaring him _Deceased._

He skimmed through the brief history of the Death Eater's life at school, the newspaper reports with scribbled notes, "_suspected involvement,_" "_possible link to suspect?_" He then came across the more detailed report from the late seventies, of his part in the brutal murder of the Prewett brothers, the notes from the trial, where he was sentenced to life in Azkaban. Nearly twenty years separated the papers from that decade and the next set of files, beginning with the newspaper release of the escape of ten death eaters, and after that, a report from the Azkaban guards. The next sheet, dated a few months later marked his return to Azkaban.

After that there was little of importance, until the report which marked his death, and gave details of his involvement in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Teddy read through the short list of names, which had been attributed to the man. Most of them faceless to him. Just names on a piece of paper. Not people, with lives and dreams, that were never realised. He knew, in an abstract part of his mind, that it was wrong to think this way, but he was distracted.

He let the folder of the man who had killed his father slip from his hands.

Harry looked up from his desk. "What's up?" When Teddy didn't answer, he got up and walked over. When he saw the file, he sat down on the floor next to Teddy. "It's awful, isn't it? Reading the names. It seems so… impersonal."

"I just… wasn't expecting it to hit me so hard, I suppose."

"No. No one ever does. But it's ok."

They sat on the floor for a little while, then Harry got up. "Right," he said. "You've obviously had enough filing for now. Let's go get a coffee, I could use a break."

After their coffee break, Teddy returned to filing, deliberately not reading any more of the files. In his lunch break, he got to go to the Head of Department's lounge, which was posh and luxurious. Harry was easily the youngest there (apart from Teddy himself, obviously.) After lunch, they sat in the office, and Harry told amusing stories about his co-workers, some of whom he knew from school.

"If it's quiet, I sometimes get home as early as two," Harry confided in Teddy, as they prepared to leave the office at around four o'clock. "It makes up for all the late hours and nights spent in the office when we've made a breakthrough."

"What if something happens, and there's no one here?"

"There's always someone on call here. With the number of Aurors we have in the department, most people stay a night every three weeks at most. But it's been particularly quiet recently. Although…"

"What?"

Harry looked a little worried. "We had a tip-off a little while ago. Nothing too major. The son of a known Death Eater" He sighed, and pulled on his cloak, and left the office. "You see, we keep tabs on the families. Nothing too serious, but just in case something happens. A few have… a few have caused problems in the past."

"I understand," Teddy nodded. "So what happened?"

"Well, we were keeping tabs on him, because someone noticed he was getting a little… demonstrative, shall we say. And last week, there was an incident. A muggle family were found dead in their home. No apparent cause of death, unless you know what you're looking for."

"Avada Kedavra?"

"Yes." Harry suddenly looked much older. "It was awful. It reminded people of the days when that sort of stuff happened so regularly that it was barely news."

"So why do you think this guy was involved?"

"He disappeared the day it happened. The guy trailing him came back with no memory of what he'd been doing that day. And it was in-keeping with his views, which are, shall we say, old-fashioned. But he's completely disappeared."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Harry sighed. "I didn't know if anything would come from it at all, and I didn't want you to have to worry about it unless you had to."

"That's your job."

"That's my job," Harry agreed. "Now come on. Time to go home."

***.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.***

**So I suppose I owe you an explanation. (that seems to happen a lot lately, doesn't it?)**

**So it took me a long time to re-write what I posted. (luckily most of my schoolwork was backed up anyway so it was mainly just stories that I had on that memory stick) School has been completely mental recently, I have to start picking out universities, I had a giant lump of English coursework, music practicals, and German orals, and AS exams. I genuinely haven't had time to do much writing. **

**However, I've received some amazing reviews, and thanks to all the old followers if you're still reading this, and welcome to the new.**

**I don't know how much longer this story will last. I'm not sure how much life there is left in it to be honest. I will try and write the next part of this chapter soon.**


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